https://www.journalnow.com/sports/c...cle_2a4a3164-24af-5e64-8f69-b70401679104.html Hearing that he takes too many plays off and sometimes doesn’t play aggressive enough is something Jaylen Hoard has tried to shrug off. That became harder to do when the Portland Trail Blazers rookie heard it from certain people. “I try not to worry about that kind of stuff, but if you hear from it from coaches and people like that, it’s something obviously you want to work on,” Hoard said earlier this week in a phone interview. “I want to be the best player I can be, so if it’s something I need to work on, I’m going to do it.” Hoard played in five games this month with Portland’s summer league team in Las Vegas, averaging 8.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He made 17 of 31 field goals and played 22.4 minutes per game. It was there that Hoard’s goal was to put forth a consistent effort. “I just felt I was trying to put an emphasis on being aggressive,” Hoard said. “A couple of people were saying that sometimes it seems like I’m not as aggressive as I should be. The criticism, I just take it and try to improve. “That’s one of the things I didn’t want to happen, I didn’t want my coaches or anything to tell me, ‘You’re not being aggressive enough,’ or anything, I’m really trying to focus on that.” Hoard entered Wake Forest with an attached label of a player with natural talent, a 6-8, 215-pounder who could affect games in every facet, but who also didn’t assert himself as much as he should. It’s something his coach at High Point Wesleyan, Keith Gatlin, pointed out near the end of his second season coaching Hoard. “You leave sometimes saying, ‘I don’t know.’ Then you see him again and you’re like, ‘Oh, he’s very talented.’ But, you don’t know,” Gatlin said after Hoard turned in a dominant fourth-quarter performance in his senior season. “He has that South-of-France mentality, that laid-back mentality and that’s going to get him on the next level.”......(continues)
I still don't quite understand this 2-way contract stuff. If this chart is correct, Hoard is not part of the existing payroll...and, if he were, would become the 15th player on roster......correct?
The two way counts against the training camp roster. Here is a link that explains it in full. https://2ways10days.com/nba-two-way-contracts-faq-70d1c9cbbe9 There are a few issues. The Blazers don't have a G league affiliate so they have to assign them to a team. 2 ways are also a good way to get a look at and lure players from overseas the team that has them owns the rights to the player but it doesn't count against the final roster. So essentially they are designed to fill spots 16 and 17 on the roster so to speak.
Even more so is that is another look at the damage Andrew Nicholson will continue to impose. Blazers saved quite a bit in the short term but that stretch was for 7 years. essentially a cap reduction of 3 million every year until 2024. Didn't like it then and i don't like it now.
I would think Bend or Medford would make a good location as Bend has an airport nearby in Redmond and Medford has an airport and neither city has a major college basketball program to compete with. I know in the past the Blazers mentioned they would like a team to have a close proximity to Portland for when they send a player down or recall a player.
Was waiting for, and expecting, this response. Same league, same franchises. Same ol, shut your mouth!
https://ripcityproject.com/2019/09/29/portland-trail-blazers-odds-fringe-player-makes-roster/ According to this site, Hoard has an 85% chance of making the team...
Blazers aren't going to use a roster spot for someone already under contract with a 2 way and isn't ready to play in the NBA .
