Exclusive Around the NBA: Forgettable February edition

Ex-Blazers having fun:

 

Yes thats probably is most likely that the picks aren't stars if you look at any one pick. But the draft picks can be lottery tickets, especially when they aren't protected. Thats how the Cavs acquired Kyrie Irving (from Neil Olshey) and the Celtics got both Tatum and Brown all high in the lottery. Even if the picks aren't high lottery picks, they can be stars as the Spurs got Kawhi.

So the more first round picks the better, and the more unprotected the better. OKC has great picks, but the Pelicans and Rockets have some great ones too. But looking at any one pick or one draft as the key to bring in a star is not a good plan.

Overall I'd much rather have OKC roster and upcoming picks than our roster and upcoming picks. Now if you goal is only to make the playoffs in 2023 we are better setup for that, but having talent to build a contender in 5-10 years I'd much rather be in OKC position.

 

Thats awesome

 

isnt that cool!

 

I'll wait until the playoffs. Harden has a tendency to underwhelm in the playoffs.

 

It seems like OKC has been rebuilding for awhile, but you are right; in 2020 they were a 5th seed with 9 more wins than the Blazers. So this will be only their second year in the lottery. Also, they owed their 2022 first round pick lottery protected, so sucking this year allowed them to keep their own pick, which now they only will give Atlanta a second rounder.

SGA is a potential star level player below Dame but somewhere above or below Ant. Plus a couple great role players, and all the picks they have could let them pivot to being a contender pretty quickly. Compared to franchises like the Kings, Spurs, Knicks, Magic that don't really have any star level players nor a chest of picks to acquire a star in the draft or trade. Those latter franchises will have a much harder time ever building a legit contender.

Now if I had to bet if OKC is a contender or not I'd take the not. But its probably a good bet to go against any one team 5 years from now when its a 30 team league. There are what 5 real contenders each year? I'd give OKC a much higher chance than the average team out of the 30 of becoming a contender.

 

Sigh……

 

Don't sigh - feel happy for him! He's finally doing what I thought he would do with Dame out.

Now: let's see if we can avoid just repeating our Olshey mistake by pairing Dame and Simons in the backcourt.

 

Chau

Chauncey will require a back court that plays tough D. So, that could mean a number of different scenarios playing out before next season.

 

Almost the end of February. What’s next, “Morose March”? “Maudlin March”?

 

The Blazers are better off because of addition by subtraction.

Just imagine how good we would be if we trade away even more starters in the summer.

 

I thought about going there, but thought better of it. I figured someone would. @PtldPlatypus would not have been my first guess.

 

Has his defense improved?

 

Whatever happened to @julius ?

Haven’t seen the nerd post on here in forever!

 

Why the sigh? It's career highs....which means he never did that here in 8 years in Portland. Over and over, people have posted how he should do well somewhere else where he didn't have to share with Dame. This isn't a surprise at all....and not a surprise he didn't do it in Portland because of the massive duplication between him and Dame.

Always was a very good scorer. So is Dame. But they couldn't play in the same backcourt because they both needed the ball to be at their best and neither one was a defender.