Next Years Blazers

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Chris Craig, Apr 6, 2022.

  1. BigGameDamian

    BigGameDamian Well-Known Member

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    That’s no where near championship caliber.
     
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  2. wizenheimer

    wizenheimer Well-Known Member

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    I didn't say it was. I was just listing players vs roster slots
     
  3. PCmor7

    PCmor7 Generational Poster

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    Fait. It's your opinion. I like players who play hard. I prefer players who play hard who aren't physically overmatched.

    Keep in mind, I didn't say there wasn't a potential spot for him on the team. It would be at the end of the bench, though. I don't think you can compete with too many guys like Eubanks in the rotation. We already have an undersized 4/5 who is better than Eubanks.

    For Nurk's flaws, he beats Eubanks almost every time.
     
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  4. Fairly-Hard

    Fairly-Hard Former Member Gone New!

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    This is my question. Everyone throwing insults at Jerami Grant so Who's it gonna be? They need someone.
     
  5. Fairly-Hard

    Fairly-Hard Former Member Gone New!

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    5th or 6th seed is what i see at this point. They need a solid Power Forward that can guard at least 3 positions and score. They also need a good backup Center because you know Nurk is going to get hurt. No Eubanks is not a good backup. Drew is a third string practice body. Ingles is a huge question mark to me at this point? He could be a huge asset. I hope he really is buying in and will be able to contribute post injury.
    The player you didn't address was Little? Maybe on purpose? Can he stay on the court for a full month? Notice i didn't say season.
     
  6. Fairly-Hard

    Fairly-Hard Former Member Gone New!

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    Did you notice teams the Blazers played also sat players when they played the Blazers? The last part of the season was the Cakewalk part of the season. Everyone saw that coming when the season started. They haven't played a great team since March 9th vs the Jazz where they got steamrolled. Unless you want to add the Nets who should be a great team but weren't on the three weeks ago. All they have played for the last month are teams like the Rockets, Thunder, Pacers, Spurs.Wizards.
     
  7. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    That's the problem, Blazers gave away players and assets in Neil and Joe's stupid trades so it will be extremely hard to now trade for a star. The Blazers need a star better than Grant to contend for a title. What's the point of trading picks for Grant if we're not contending?

    All signs point to the Blazers going forward making stupid moves in a pointless attempt to win with Dame or needing to do a full rebuild.
     
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  8. Fairly-Hard

    Fairly-Hard Former Member Gone New!

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    Hope is eternal right? Right?
    I simply don't get into the Trade/Draft/Cap conversations enough to know what can be done and what won't work but i do watch the game and the players. Blazers need some luck right now. I know what they have and it won't win a championship as it sits. they need a winner on the team to go with Dame.
     
  9. 1 Eye Jack

    1 Eye Jack Well-Known Member

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    so what your saying is we were playoff contenders during the hardest part of the schedule and when the easier part of schedule came along and we were trying to tank we lost to those easy teams. We literally have had a roster of g league players playing the last 15 games and barely missed playoffs

    btw- says a lot about Billups getting best out of what he has and I think this will make him a better coach
     
  10. Fairly-Hard

    Fairly-Hard Former Member Gone New!

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    I have seen nothing to make me think anything like this is true but nice spin.
     
  11. 1 Eye Jack

    1 Eye Jack Well-Known Member

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    Not spin those are 100% facts. We didn’t have a starter playing the last 15-20 games and last 10 games I don’t think we even had a 2nd team player playing. Love the heart of this group but most are fighting for our 12-15th spot on roster so of course we got our asses handed to us at end of year. We are 100% a playoff team and currently 100% not a championship contending team with our current roster
     
  12. Fairly-Hard

    Fairly-Hard Former Member Gone New!

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    Now we agree.
     
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  13. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    Powell, CJ, Nance and Roco were all legit starting level players allowing the team to make a run to the playoffs. Now the team lost 4 starters and only added one in Josh Smith. The Blazers didn't receive assets to be able to replace those starters either. They gave two starters away to the Clippers in a stupid panic move that shows Joe and or Jody/Vulcan are terrible.

    Were the Blazers a contender before those trades? Certainly not. But with a healthy Dame they could have been one good trade away from building a contender. The problem is now the team has no way to add starters. Cap space has almost no value in that context, and the single pick from NO won't even bring in one starter, let alone the three needed to just get back to where the Blazers were.

    It will be very difficult for the Blazers to now get to where they were as you say "playoff contenders for the early part of this season". But the goal should be more; to build a contender, and now that is exponentially more difficult than when Neil was the GM. Jody and the Vulcans gave Joe the authority to perform some of the most critical tasks of rebuilding this roster around Dame or after Dame; that damage has been done.

    Billups has been very good as the coach. But his performance is nearly irrelevant with a roster so lacking of talent and with so little assets to acquire more starters.
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2022
  14. TBpup

    TBpup Writing Team

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    Dame/Ant/Little/Hart/Nurkic - seem like no-brainers
    Winslow/Watford/Johnson - seem like they would have a role
    1st Lottery pick - Top-3 please
    2nd Lottery pick (hopefully for someone better than Grant)
    Mo Bamba - thing he would do quite well here
    Warren - good....if he can ever be healthy
    Jalen Smith - think he could flourish here
    Dunn - a defensive minded 3rd string PG
    ....and the rest is emergency, deep bench, 2-ways.
     
  15. Hoopguru

    Hoopguru Well-Known Member

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    Im sure Jody & Kolde have ask Joe for a improvement plan as he see's it. Probably 1,3&5 year objective improvement. No way Joe tells those two he's going to make this team a contender in next couple years.
     
  16. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    Would Jody or Kolde request and review of an improvement plan be a good thing for this team? I don't see why they have any competency to be involved with any strategic direction or roster decisions of an NBA franchise. As much as I dislike Neil and as many stupid things as he did; I much more trusted him to competently run an NBA team than Jody or Kolde.

    We've also heard how part of Joe's big plan was clearing assets off the team to make a run at Simmons. Then a few days later Simmons was traded elsewhere basically removing this entire plan he gave up assets to pursue. Joe had to give away talent to the Clippers a week before the deadline because he felt other GM's were trying to bargain with him. All signs he is performing terrible as a GM.

    So even if Joe has some amazing golden 1/3/5 year plan for objective improvement; I have little faith he can execute that plan. I'd rather have a shitty plan or no plan but good execution than the reverse.
     
  17. Hoopguru

    Hoopguru Well-Known Member

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    Wasn't saying he could execute, but yeah I do believe he would be asked to submit his executable plan, maybe Jody doesn't give a shit about improvement but I bet Kolde does. They are not going to let him wing it without any measurable criteria for success.
    He did talk about clearing dollars to sign FA's or own players, but he also said sometimes you need to take a step back to go forward.
    We will see soon enough if they hand the keys over to Joe permanently?
     
  18. Fairly-Hard

    Fairly-Hard Former Member Gone New!

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    I'm with you on this up to Billups. I have seen nothing that tells me he is a good coach to this point. Not saying he is bad? I just have nothing to go on other than a couple games where the team seemed to play well. I also watched the team perform very badly at times.
    Billups tenure so far here has shown me nothing.
     
  19. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

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    I am not so sure that teams with the "stars" that we covet, wanted any of those assets that we traded away. Or at least not their contracts. I am sure some will counter with "that's why we needed to get more draft picks in return", and that may be true but we still have future picks we can use if that is what it will take to get a trade done.

    I am not trying to justify Joe's trades, just that the salary dump and the trade exceptions he acquired are equally attractive (or unattractive) as the players we moved. Neither was going to get us a "star". And between Hart, Winslow, Keon, and a first, I do think we got players that Chauncy likes better. I was more of a CJ supporter than most. I never called him MeJ like a lot of you, but I do think that Dame, Hart, and Simons (and either Mac, Keon, Williams, or Dunn) are more than enough in the backcourt to make up for losing him. Most teams with stars just did not want his contract in return. They already have a cheaper version of CJ on their team. Why add him and give up a star forward in return?

    I also want someone better than Grant, but if that is all we add, along with our 1st and an MLE, I still think we are better off than we have been the last few years.
     
  20. Wade Garrett

    Wade Garrett Exactly right.

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    I am NOT a Nassir Little fan.
    Personally, I really don't get the hype at all.
    6pts 6rebs just doesn't rock my world.
    I would package him with the picks to try to get a Bobby Portis type guy.
    And FWIW, I disagree with you on Eubanks. I think there's something there.
     
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