2019 Training Camp thread

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Scalma, Sep 18, 2019.

  1. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    There was video of him dunking last week. I just need everyone to stay healthy from now on.
     
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  2. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    Quick did a mailbag. This seems like the right place to dump it. Am I gonna stop posting these? No. Will I recommend people pony up for the athletic? Yes.

    Trail Blazers mailbag: Why Mario Hezonja might surprise and what’s Hassan Whiteside’s future in Portland? https://theathletic.com/1224903/201...d-whats-hassan-whitesides-future-in-portland/

    What’s the team’s expectation from (Mario) Hezonja for the upcoming season? Will he have a role considering they pursued him last summer as well? — Edin M.

    If I had to choose a player who will surprise the fanbase, and perhaps even become a fan favorite, it’s Hezonja, for two reasons: coach Terry Stotts, and Hezonja’s state-of-mind.

    Entering his eighth season in Portland, Coach Stotts has an impressive track record of getting the most out of players. Think about it — the following players have never had better seasons than with Stotts: LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, Allen Crabbe, Mason Plumlee, Jusuf Nurkic, Al-Farouq Aminu, Maurice Harkless and JJ Hickson.

    Players flourish under Stotts in part because his system is rooted in trust and freedom, and in part because he and his staff put so much time into player development. In other words, when players come to Portland, they are trusted to play the right way — make the extra pass, take the right shot — and as a result, they play more freely, and have more fun. It helps, too, that this is a place where players stay long after practice and hone their skills, either with one-on-one coaching or in playful, group competitions. If you are not staying after practice to work on your game, you stick out.

    I think Hezonja is a perfect example of a player who can excel when allowed to play freely. Look at Hezonja’s final month in New York last season, when coach David Fizdale essentially put the ball in his hands and told him to just play: 18.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists. It’s a small, four-game sample size, but it also included games of 29 points, nine rebounds and five assists at Orlando, a triple-double at Houston (16 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists), and 30 points, six rebounds and five assists against Washington.

    Hezonja (6-foot-8, 225 pounds) says he grew up a point guard and envisions himself playing a similar point-forward role like Evan Turner did the past three seasons in Portland. I think he will start out as a jack-of-all-trades, playing mostly small forward, some power forward and some point-forward. His versatility will give him chances to get on the floor.

    Another thing going for Hezonja, 24, is his mindset. We learned last season with Rodney Hood how much culture and environment can impact and influence a player’s performance. Judging from one of Hezonja’s tweets earlier this week, he is happy and enjoying his experience in Portland so far. I also think he will benefit from being a teammate of countryman Jusuf Nurkic, whom he was literally neighbors with as a youth in Bosnia. Not surprisingly, the team put Hezonja’s locker next to Nurkic.


    But perhaps the best clue to answer your question came on July 3, when the Blazers issued a press release announcing Hezonja’s free-agent signing. In the release, president of basketball operations Neil Olshey said of Hezonja: “Mario is a prodigiously talented player with a high ceiling and bright future. He will have a chance to contribute immediately while we work to accelerate his development.”

    How do the Blazers replace the defensive flexibility of Moe (Harkless) and Chief (Al-Farouq Aminu)? — Stan W.

    A great question, and an underrated aspect of the Blazers’ success the past three seasons.

    Harkless and Aminu were a great tandem on the wing because they could switch on defense without either giving up an advantage. Their length cut down passing lanes and their athleticism helped counter some small-ball lineups. But a trade has sent Harkless to Los Angeles with the Clippers and Aminu signed a free-agent deal with Orlando.

    They are likely to be replaced in the starting lineup by Rodney Hood at small forward and Zach Collins at power forward, and I’m not yet convinced there will be a huge dropoff. Hood is no slouch on defense, but he is not as tall, strong or effective as Harkless. And I think most would consider Collins a plus defender with the chance to be exceptional. But it’s one thing for Collins to do it for 20 minutes a game as a reserve and another to do it every night against starters.

    So yes, this might very well be a situation where we don’t realize the full defensive impact of Harkless and Aminu until they are gone. But I don’t think Hood is a glaring hole on defense, and I’ve seen enough from Collins in his first two seasons not to be concerned about his defense. In fact, while many are justly touting a breakout season for second-year guard Anfernee Simons, I think Collins is going to make the biggest splash leaguewide, and I think his defense is what’s going to grab people’s attention.

    Also, I think there are some talented and savvy vets who can come off the bench — guys such as Kent Bazemore, Anthony Tolliver and Pau Gasol. Bazemore is a former defensive player of the year in college, and Tolliver has been among the league leaders in charges drawn for the past couple seasons. And Gasol is as smart and experienced as they come.

    Infinite-part question regarding the front line: 1. How strong do you think Nurk will come back? 2. Can Collins bang enough to help inside or will he be more of a stretch 4 with weakside blocks? 3. When Nurk comes back, how do you think the Whiteside/Nurk/Collins rotations work? — Brian J.

    1. I think the team will make sure Nurkic doesn’t come back until he is 200 percent ready. He is such a unique talent, one of the franchise pillars, and there is no way they risk bringing him back too early. All reports so far from Olshey indicate his recovery from a broken left leg is on schedule, if not ahead. The informal target date for his return is sometime around February, and whenever he returns, it would be normal to expect him to be rusty, and probably a little winded. So I’m sure they will bring him along slowly, like 15 minutes the first week, then 20-to-25 minutes, and so on, with the goal having him in regular, game shape by the playoffs in April. I have zero doubts Nurkic is and will be putting in the work to be his best. By now, we know what is inside of Nurkic: since he has been in Portland, he has been a very hard worker, as evidenced by his losing 39 pounds in an offseason. And since his March injury, he remained engaged with the team — showing up unexpectedly to a film session ahead of Game 1 in the playoffs, then famously showing up in Game 5 — without crutches — to help ignite the series-clinching comeback.
    2. Part of what makes Collins so valuable is he has an inside and outside game, both offensively and defensively. He shot 33 percent from 3 last season, and I would guess he expects that to be 36-37 percent this season. But his true love is playing inside, and he likes talking about his improvements inside, particularly with his footwork. And one thing Blazers fans know is Collins isn’t afraid of contact, and now that he is up to 250 pounds, I don’t think there should be concern about him being able to hold his own down low.
    3. One of the biggest questions of the season will be how the big-man rotation pans out at the end of the season. Right now, I would say don’t worry about it, it’s a good problem to have. In the meantime, we have to see just how well Whiteside acclimates himself to the Blazers’ style and culture, and just how quickly Nurkic returns to a semblance of his dominant self. But if all three are humming along, I would say Nurkic would get the start and play the most because he is the most complete package. For all of Nurkic’s offensive brilliance last season (15.6 points, 3.2 assists) he was also a beast on defense. From there, Stotts can plug and play Whiteside and Collins and Gasol to fit what he needs at the time. Of course, the best scenario is that the Blazers are winning at a rate that makes them a contender, which will help Stotts and company to sell to the big men corps the value of roles and sacrificing.
    Do you think eventually Hassan’s contract is going to be used in a trade for (Kevin) Love? What else would the Blazers have to add to acquire Love … is it even a thought in the front office? — Paul P.

    First, let me say this as clearly as possible: From what I’ve been told from a very reliable source inside the Blazers, the team HAS ZERO INTENTION of trading Hassan Whiteside this season. Same with Kent Bazemore. They traded for these guys because they think they help push the Blazers into a tier of contenders.

    Also, I’m really surprised people are still stuck on this Kevin Love thing. He’s a very good player, and his passing and shooting would fit beautifully in Stotts’ system, but from a money standpoint, it’s not going to happen. Love this season makes $28.9 million and he is under contract until he is 34, with years of $31.25 million, $31.25 million and $28.9 million owed to him. I just don’t think it’s fiscally responsible to take on that contract at his age.

    Do you have any initial takes on Whiteside? Any observations? Is anyone taking him under their wing? – Thomas B.

    In July, I wrote about how Damian Lillard immediately reached out to Whiteside after the trade, and told him he intends to bring the best out of him. A few days later, Whiteside told me that the lengths to which Lillard reached out to him, and his message, was what Whiteside had been waiting for his whole career.

    My observations of Whiteside are limited to one conversation with him in Las Vegas and a lengthy phone conversation with his trainer and manager. He’s a little bit of a different bird. My guess is he’s going to say some wild and weird stuff, much like Evan Turner did, and he is going to have bouts of frustration.

    But I also think he is going to thrive in the Blazers’ culture, which has a way of allowing you to be yourself, yet preventing one from going outside the lines. As Wade Baldwin told me last season: “It’s hard to be a dickhead here,” Baldwin said, “because you are going to stick out like a sore thumb. You would look ridiculous.”

    He had some rough times in Miami, during which he bickered with the coach about his usage, and was accused by some of not playing hard all the time. But as one person inside the Blazers noted, it’s not like he has ever done anything egregious or illegal. His biggest blowups have always been centered on being frustrated with being on a losing team.

    But again, I think the Blazers’ culture is so solid, and the two leaders — Lillard and CJ McCollum — have established relationships with Whiteside. McCollum was friends with Whiteside years ago, with Whiteside spending some summer nights at McCollum’s Portland home, and Lillard has been proactive in establishing a relationship from the start, much like he did with Nurkic. And of note: In the Blazers’ newly converted locker room, Whiteside was assigned the locker previously occupied by Maurice Harkless, which happens to be located next to Lillard. I don’t think that was by accident.
     
  3. B-Roy

    B-Roy If it takes months

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    There is quite some spin on this one....Aldridge and Batum definitely had better seasons in San Antonio and Charlotte. Matthews had a major injury when he left Portland, but you can argue he played just as well under Nate. Mason Plumlee became a backup in Denver, and Nurkic/Harkless were projects when they came to the Blazers.
     
  4. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    Maybe Aldridge but Batum definitely had his best years under Stotts with an average vorp of 3.8. And Aldridge was an all star under stotts so let’s not pretend like he was holding him back either.
     
  5. JDC

    JDC Well-Known Member

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    Yeah Dame kinda dismissed the idea of doing one. I remember CJ wanting to do one though.
     
  6. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    It's revisionist history. Why don't people bring up Barton for example? Hell, I bet Seth and Layman will both have better years next year than before. And ET for instance, had his worst years ever in this system. Stotts and our culture isn't some magic elixir that will produce career years every time.
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2019
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  7. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    The Whiteside stuff is also weird. He's actually older than Dame and among the elder players one the whole team.

    Why does he need a mentor? He just needs to fall in line.
     
  8. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    Barton?? The guy was a young player on a playoff squad full of veterans stuck behind guys like Matthews, Afflalo, Batum and even CJ. He barely played.

    And I’ll take that bet on Layman and Curry.
     
  9. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    And his development certainly stagnated here as a result. Afflalo was such a massive mistake on multiple levels.
     
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  10. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    No it wasn’t. It was the right move at the time. Or should Olshey have predicted Matthews, the teams most durable player btw, would blow out his Achilles?

    Talk about revisionist history.
     
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  11. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    More about CJ (and Will) than Wes. He was just coming into his own and the Afflalo move effectively pushed him down a level. What did Afflalo bring us?
     
  12. Zach Collins Enthusiast

    Zach Collins Enthusiast Bored

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    Zach is the main addition, he starts at 4 i think, at least if Nurkic's healthy. Whiteside should learn to set a screen the entire team needs to, even though Toronto won the championship absolutely not setting any screens.
    Zach getting major minutes with his defense and Whiteside's defense is what should give us the extra edge
     
  13. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    The team was playing very well when Matthews went down (5-1) Afflalo was a proven player brought in to beef up a shitty bench. Who knows what would’ve happened if Wes didn’t go down. But we’re now straying from the original topic, because this is more about Olshey than Stotts. If you can’t concede that players GENERALLY, because there are exceptions, play better under Stotts, then I don’t know if this “debate” is worth continuing.
     
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  14. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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  15. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    Generally, yes. But definitely not universal.
     
  16. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    I don’t think quick was saying it was universal.
     
  17. tlongII

    tlongII Legendary Poster

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    Love to see Nurk working out with the team. Just look at the size of his legs compared to Pau's!
     
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  18. HolyBackboard

    HolyBackboard 2 Hot 2 Stop It

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    First off, thank you for posting this!

    Secondly, this aligns with my gut instinct as well. I know national media (hell, a lot of local media as well) viewed Hassan as a stop-gap and his expiring deal as a way to add additional help to the roster once Nurkic returned. While that makes sense on paper, it wasn't adding up to what I was seeing on social media -- which was that Hassan Whiteside was more than thrilled to be in Portland. All of his actions, from renting/buying a house, moving his fish across country, consistently repping the team throughout the summer, and generally just being incredibly excited to be part of the Portland Trail Blazers indicated to me that he knew he wasn't a half-year rental. I'd argue (with no inside knowledge) that Neil, Terry and Co. sat down with Hassan and his agent immediately after the trade to inform them of their intentions. I truly believe the team feels like Hassan + Nurk can coexist long-term. Neil even mentioned Portland playing more "bully ball" during one of his press conferences this summer.
     
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  19. HailBlazers

    HailBlazers RipCity

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    Agreed 100%. We Got Shooters!!
     
  20. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    Ding ding ding. The center market isn’t great as it is, nevermind for a high maintenance guy like Whiteside. He’s not gonna be a fit for everyone, and he’ll be 31 by the time he hits free agency. Look at what 27 year old Kanter had to settle for. If he enjoys his time in Portland I could see him returning as Nurks backup. It’s a lot easier to play “bully ball” when you're not worried about getting in foul trouble.
     

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