The Raptors should be an example to us of how to build a better team

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Natebishop3, May 25, 2019.

  1. Charcoal Filtered

    Charcoal Filtered Writing Team

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    I think you always get into trouble trying to repeat what someone else is done. Much better to be the best you instead of being someone else.

    Toronto was near the end of its expected window with many of its players. It made sense to go all in this year, then transition from an aging roster.

    We still have the development of Collins and Nurk to improve our roster. Going all in next year may make sense. There was no way we were beating Golden St this year, healthy Nurk or not.
     
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  2. Orion Bailey

    Orion Bailey Forum Troll

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    Ive never understood trying to follow the path of another team.

    If you follow it through the course, it doesnt seem to make sense.

    So if we see what Toronto has done, don't all the other teams as well? So there are now 29 other teams gearing up to counter Toronto's moves. So wouldn't those gearing up also be able to counter our moves if we did the same? Why be a step behind? Set our own trend.

    Though, I think @Natebishop3, it takes a trendsetter to set a trend and Stotts/Olshey are not trend setters.

    I will say this though. I'M not a fan of firing Stotts without a clear upgrade. Toronto did that and tghey didnt improve, though they didnt fall off.
    To me, that says that great teams are more about the talent on the roster than the coach pulling the strings.

    How do we match up against Toronto talent wise?

    Gasol<Nurk
    Kawhi>>>Harkless
    Green<<CJ
    Lowry<Dame
    Siakim>>Aminu

    More than one "<>" means I think they are that much better or worse than the other.

    Right now, I think the edge goes to Toronto for the starting 5, but I think our bench is better(only because of Hood, Curry, Kanter), but next year will likely be worse.

    Here is the key to me about switching coaches:

    Do we think that we can get more out of our current roster than Stotts did? If so, then we need a change. If we think the roster performed about as well as expected, or overachieved, then Stotts should stay, because there isn't a coach out there that will then get more, if we already got the best they can do.

    So what good would another coach do unless its a coach like Pops?


    I dont think the coaching change got Toronto to the finals, I think the lack of an LBJ in the East did it.

    Now, lets look at Toronto last year to this year:

    This year, they went 58-24
    Last year they were 59-23


    So are you saying that the head coaching change was instrumental in getting them to the finals, even though they finished with a worse record than last year and the East now doesn't have an LBJ?

    To me, the records indicate they were both lateral moves and didn't improve the team much, but what allowed them to get to the finals was the absence of LBJ.

    It seems the point of this thread is to show that the changes Toronto made improved the team when the records indicate it didn't.
     
  3. TorturedBlazerFan

    TorturedBlazerFan Well-Known Member

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    You have no way of knowing they couldnt beat Milwaukee or Philly. In fact I would disagree. I think in 7 games they would have a shot to beat any of those teams. I think the Blazers, GS or Denver would win a series vs any of the eastern conference teams.

    The whole idea the Sacremento game is the only reason they got to the WCF finals is just an attempt to undermine them so people can push their agenda, its really not much different than the people using the WCF’s as a measuring stick to push their vision of the team. You’re taking one game and saying well because of that their whole season was just perfect and everything lined up. In this conversation you havent acknowledged all the things that happened that weren't so perfect, Like Kanter’s shoulder, Nurk leg, CJ’s knee, Hood hurting his knee in the Denver series (he never really looked comfortable after that).

    I mean I agree with the notion I would like them to take a risk for AD if its available. Id agree with the notion that just being happy they got to the WCF’s is the wrong approach.
    I just simple dont agree that somehow everything went perfect for them and thats the only reason they got to WCF’s.
    When you start Meyers Leonard in the WCF’s things didnt go perfectly for you...
     
  4. e_blazer

    e_blazer Rip City Fan

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    What’s curious to me is the subtext of threads like this that Olshey is too timid to pull off a trade of a good player for a superstar player. And yet, that’s exactly what he did with the Clippers. He packaged assets, built around Eric Gordon (a somewhat undersized shooting guard bordering on All Star recognition) and traded for Chris Paul to pair him with Blake Griffin. That move was one of the major reasons that the Blazers went after him to be GM. I have no doubt he’d make a similar move here if the opportunity arises.
     
  5. UKRAINEFAN

    UKRAINEFAN Well-Known Member

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    Unfortunately the horse is already out of the barn; we didn't get George and we extended Stotts.
     
  6. UKRAINEFAN

    UKRAINEFAN Well-Known Member

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    If Gasol gets in to a good shooting groove, Toronto can win.
     
  7. H.C.

    H.C. Well-Known Member

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    They have a punchers chance just like Houston, Portland, Bucks, Clippers, etc.
    But that's it.
    10% chance.

    If GSW plays like they're supposed to it's 4-0.
     
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  8. borim69

    borim69 Well-Known Member

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    I would give Toronto and Milwaukee better then a punchers chance at GSW. I think Boston just has too many people wanting the ball they all get in each others way. This summer should be interesting though. Through out the league
     
  9. wizenheimer

    wizenheimer Well-Known Member

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    sorry, but I don't think the loss to the Warriors had anything to do with Portland being satisfied with being in the WC finals

    the loss was simply due to playing a much better team. The warriors had an advantage at every position on the floor; and they had Green. Their coaching is better and their bench was even better. And they have a system that has won 3 championships in 4 years. Blazers are 1-12 against them in the playoffs. 0-7 on the road and 1-5 at home. No moral victories in that record and no way to rationalize the mismatch in talent
     
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  10. Phatguysrule

    Phatguysrule Well-Known Member

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    Uh that's like a 50/50 shot... Not very long odds. You can't discount Portlands role in effecting Denver's shooting percentage.

    You're really reaching....
     
  11. TorturedBlazerFan

    TorturedBlazerFan Well-Known Member

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    I believe Dame said it himself Id have to find the interview. Yeah, GS is better than them, and everyone else, thats not news.
     
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  12. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    I disagree. I think Kawhi is an exceptional player. Better than Dame. On par with Curry. I think they also have a much better overall roster, and as far as I can tell, they're healthy. We were not healthy. Not even close. Hood had that knee injury, Dame had separated ribs, Kanter with his shoulder and Ramadan, and Aminu also playing through Ramadan.
     
  13. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    Who said anything about signing anyone?
     
  14. Mediocre Man

    Mediocre Man Mr. SportsTwo

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    Trade for then. Whatever
     
  15. oldmangrouch

    oldmangrouch persona non grata

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    Same could be said of the Blazers. The obvious difference being that the Raptors have a fair chance to have a trophy to show for it.
     
  16. oldmangrouch

    oldmangrouch persona non grata

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    There is no shame in learning from what other teams do right.

    There are some Blazer fans who believe the success of other teams is all dumb good luck, while our failures are all the result of blind bad luck. Sorry, but that is childish. Talent evaluation and development is only considered "luck" by people who are bad at it. Same with coaching. Yes, there are factors like injuries that are largely beyond your control...but there are plenty of things a team can control that are at least as important as the random factors.

    Cthulhu damn it people! We don't need to be jealous of other teams, we don't need to act like victims, and we don't HAVE to fail!
     
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  17. brooklynballer

    brooklynballer Well-Known Member

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    I disagree. Holiday is the superior player because he plays both ends of the court. Aside from maybe Marcus Smart and Klay Thompson, he is the best guard defender in the league. And his scoring is underrated. He scores more, assists more, gets to the rim better, has a higher eFG - literally better in almost every statistical category with the exception of 3FG. I take Jrue 100x out of 100 if he’s available in that trade.
     
  18. Labinot41

    Labinot41 Well-Known Member

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    This will be the 1st free agency without Paul Allen. Neil said after Paul died that many times when he wanted to make a move, Scouting a player for the draft or whatever he had to ask Paul. This time he maybe has more freedom, we'll see. But, as long as he doesn't prove me wrong, i will not trust Neil
     
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  19. MARIS61

    MARIS61 Real American

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    Toronto isn't even a Real American NBA Team. :cowboy:

    The Canadian Socialist team will be crushed by Golden State's Capitalist Juggernaut! :cheers:
     
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  20. e_blazer

    e_blazer Rip City Fan

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    But the bucks stopped in Canada.
     
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