If CJ had made the all-star team a few times prior to this year, I think it would be much easier to make the case he would clearly be an all-star this year. The facts are, he's never put together a stretch of 30+ games to start a season that would warrant an all-star selection. This year is no exception. Could he have made it? Of course! But for the 8th straight year, he did not make it. If I said we were on pace to win the NBA championship in 2015 and 2019, but things happened, yet we should still be considered NBA Champions, I don't think people would buy that.
If Lillard wasn't here CJ's stats would be better. Robin can't go to all stars list with batman takin his shots. It does not mean he doesn't have all star skills. If you ever played basketball you know he got all star skills FFS. We got two sport cars and for years Stotts can't find synergy. It's on Stotts we got individuals that can't play team basketball.
Are you trying to make a case that two players on the same team can't make an all-star team? Two players who's #1 skill is scoring can't make an all-star team together? CJ has averaged between 18-20 FGA a game for 6 seasons. Last year, he took 19.4 FGA/game, good enough for T-10 in the entire NBA. CJ is geting shot attempts all-stars get. Is he getting the boards, steals, blocks, and making the stops all-stars get? It appears the answer is no. Last years all-star tandoms (from the same team). I'll bold everyone who got less attempts than CJ: Tatum/Walker Harden/Westbrook James/Davis Adebayo/Butler Giannis/Middleton Simmons/Embiid Lowry/Siakam Gobert/Mitchell 13 players who played on the same team as another all-star, still found a way to make the team with less attempts than CJ.
https://theathletic.com/1107072/201...lillard-become-a-duo-synonymous-with-success/ "Can CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard become a duo ... In another example of their synergy and connection, the two guards this.. ." Saying they're a bad defensive backcourt is somewhat accepted. Saying they don't have synergy/chemistry together is a first for me to hear anyone say. Weird to hear what is widely considered one of the best backcourts in the NBA as used poorly. Maybe you think they would be the second coming of Gary Payton and Jordan on the defensive end if used properly?
Couldn't read it, it's paywalled. I would gladly read examples of synergy between them. From what I know ISO is opposite of synergy and ISO is what Blazer do. Time after time I see Lillard, CJ, Melo, Hood playing ISO. Their actions are not connected therefore there is no synergy in use in this team.
Huh? CJ was averaging more FGA/game than Dame was prior to injury. As it is now, for the season Dame is at 20.8 FGA/game in 34 games with more volume recently while CJ is at 20 FGA/game in his 13 games. The stats don’t fit your narrative unless I’m missing something. Dame is by far a more efficient scorer and distributor.
Let me be the umpteenth person to say it. The two step all over each other on offense. Dame is constantly getting CJ open looks that he turns down to pound the rock. The ball stalls on CJ when Dame is in. Basically when Dame is in CJ goes into what I'm sure you've seen referred to as MeJ ball. When Dame is out however, CJ turns into a well rounded lead guard. He moves the ball, he accepts picks, he scores and assists. These guys are both spectacular offensive lead guards but they don't mix well together. You are right that it is widely accepted that they are a bad defensive back court but again, I know you've seen the MeJ thing and I also know that you've had to have read others complaining about the fact that Dame and CJ don't complement each others' games... even on offense. Maybe it's a Stotts thing but we can't know that because both have only been coached by Stotts. It might also be something that miraculously cures itself after six years.
Maybe we goin somewhere. CJ is more complex player when he has to play without Lillard. "Looks" are not everything. You tellin me that bc stats show that he got looks it means his skills are use properly. And Tince, Synergy means 1+1=3. What ISO do is 1=1 And maybe I shouldn't write "batman taking his shots". Maybe I should use other words.
Dame has been far more efficient is past years. Not this year. It’s only a 13 game sample for CJ but he’s been slightly more efficient than Dame this year. TS% 0.620 vs 0.618 CJ is not the distributor that Dame is (8.0 vs 5.3 AST/36) but his assist are up about 60% from a few years ago and his TO’s are extremely low (1.1 vs 3.3 TO/36 CJ vs Dame). Hopefully that 13 game stretch is not a flash in the pan.
Aminu is just getting back from injury and playing 22 minutes/game for Orlando the last 5 or so games.
It's what i call bird dogging. We deal with it at work. It's when someone watches you (Usually your boss) and points out every little mistake you make. They fail to just let you get from point A to point B. In the end it's never about what you accomplished. It's always about dropping your wrench or having to make an extra trip back to the gang box because you didn't grab the right set of prints. The building is still getting built. Nothing ever happens the way you expect but the Bird Dog always takes the credit for pointing out the mistakes. Happens constantly in game threads. Right now the whipping post has been Gary Trent and Enes Kanter on defense. Most of the year it's been Melo on offense. First two weeks it was Nurk being out of shape. Simons has taken on a bigger role and is taking more chances because that is the only way he is going to continue to excel and grow as a player. He is getting picked apart on this board. Glad he never reads it because if he let that shit get into his head he might as well pack his stuff and quit. Of course Stotts gets the ultimate "Blame". Why isn't Ant playing? Ant isn't a point guard! Why isn't Little Playing. Why is melo Playing? Why is Stotts running Lillard into the ground? Trent is Garbage! The rotations and scheme suck. Did you see that corner three? Why can't they guard a corner three? (Even though every team in the league works plays to get that shot including the Blazers) Then there is Olshey... Do we need to discuss this? Why didn't he sign such and such? Why didn't he trade this guy? Why can't we have that player? Why did he make this deal. There is a reason Olshey doesn't let anyone know much. Bird Dogs fail to see 21-14 and 5th place in the West working without 3 starters and down one back up Big. Yes. It's very easy to sit and watch something and pick apart everything you see go wrong. It's very hard to come up with a plan that works to perfection with the tools and personnel available. I deal with this on a daily basis.
Ultimately @BonesJones isn't really trying to make that point and i think both of us understand that. I just drove home that issue. I agree that this team as assembled could be the caliber of team that could compete. He feels even more so with a different approach from the coach. He may very well be right! I do wonder why he gives such high praise to these players but doesn't give credit to the team for performing well without them? Stotts right now is part of that team.
you two guys have been working this angle really hard in incessant attempts to defend blazer status quo. I guess because you think it's effective? IMO, this "name a replacement first" or "come up with a plan first" is just a laughable tactic to try and derail people from saying things you don't like when was the last time a team hired a new head coach before they fired the current one? Yeah, that's a rhetorical question because even the dumbest teams don't put the cart before the horse. And how often are there gaps of weeks or even months between a team firing the coach and hiring another? Here's a shocking fact: Stotts was hired 5 months after Nate was fired. Even more shocking is that Olshey was hired 13 months after Rich Cho was fired, and the franchise didn't suffer at all by not having a GM or head coach. In fact, in those gaps, Portland traded for a 6th pick, thoroughly scouted a target, and then drafted that target, Lillard, who ironically has given 9 years of ass cover to the two guys in charge many people want gone tell you what, pay me 8 million a year like Olshey and I'll have a plan. Except I won't tell you and if you ask, I'll deflect, condescend, snipe at critics, and then pump out more snake oil. Which points at a reality...you guys don't know what Olshey's plan is other than a guess it's probably more of the same, which you're fine with. Why should any of us tell you our plans when you don't hold Olshey to the same standard?
Geez dude, your the one that always has the stats or answers on things, forum know it all. Yet you refuse to offer any idea, IDEA on you'd think would meet your GM and coaching style. Yeah I get to dont want go on record with anything like that less you be wrong. You must be an accountant, a 5 cent mistake is no different than a $1000 mistake. They are made just as easily. Quit being such damn weisenheimer! Now throw fucking numbers at me if you like.
and you just did it again. Why is it so important for you to know who I'd hire as GM if I owned the Blazers? What difference would it make? I've never been a big advocate of firing Stotts. I think he has, in some cases, been blamed for roster construction he has no control over. But his flaws as a defensive coach have never been more apparent than this season. That's enough reason if his over-reliance on offensive iso wasn't Olshey is a different matter. I think he should have been fired after the 2016 disaster....that Portland is still dealing with 5 years later, by the way. But the big thing is that in 2015, Olshey went all-in on the Dame/CJ team. 110%. He's treating that pairing, in both opportunity-cost and financial-cost as if they are a championship pairing like Bird/McHale or Magic/Jabbar or Magic/Worthy or Jordan/Pippen or Kobe/Shaq or Duncan/Robinson or Lebron/DWade or Curry/Durant or Lebron/AD. He didn't build a team around Dame. He built it around Dame/CJ and has not wavered in that commitment even though the evidence is close to overwhelming it won't yield a championship. Seeing all those names in those championship duo's, it's already a bit of a stretch to put Dame there. But it's nuts to think CJ belongs. But that is what Olshey has committed Portland to you want to know who I'd hire as GM? Anybody who could look at the Portland roster objectively instead of thru the lens of Olshey's ego
