Zombie This is an epic disaster.

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Predator, Jul 1, 2022.

  1. wizenheimer

    wizenheimer Well-Known Member

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    I know, but I figure that would scuttle the deal (which I'm mostly fine with by the way). It would just be a bad precedent for Cronin to establish as his reputation
     
  2. mook

    mook The 2018-19 season was the best I've seen

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    Eh, the epic disaster was trotting out CJ year after year while not having a viable 2nd/3rd option at forward. Plus having a bare cupboard of up and coming guys with star potential.
    I mean Christ....that's been the same goddamn problem forever.
    I'm not under any illusions that we've fixed all the holes, but Grant is the best forward Dame has ever played with aside from Aldridge.
    Ant, Little and Sharpe have way, way more upside than guys like Crabbe or Leonard or Trent.
    We've got the best collection of defenders since Matthew blew his Achiles.
    I don't really know if we'll be good this year. But at least it's different. I'm actually curious about this team, which I really haven't been for years.
     
  3. BigGameDamian

    BigGameDamian Well-Known Member

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    Goran Dragić Is listed at 6’3”. We should have signed him.

     
  4. Fairly-Hard

    Fairly-Hard Former Member Gone New!

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    Ha!
     
  5. Idog1976

    Idog1976 Well-Known Member

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    Very well said. Also Dame is injury free for the first time in what 6 years and it was getting progressively worse. We have no idea what that means. Injuries like that sap your energy. Perhaps now he will play passable defense. Its not an impossibility.
     
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  6. Tince

    Tince Well-Known Member

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    If the only way to get a good player is to get him at their highest value in their prime, then we're in deep trouble.

    Again, back to my original point. I believe moves can be made outside of the first 30 hours of free agency.
     
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  7. MickZagger

    MickZagger Well-Known Member

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    Yeah no GM I think fell in love with “his guys” more than Olshey that it was such a detriment.

    I almost feel like when he would acquire guys that were high draft picks that never panned out that those were guys he originally wanted to draft that he couldn’t because they were taken higher. The Thomas Robinson, Johnny Flynn types off the top of my head.
     
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  8. Predator

    Predator The Godfather

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    That was another epic disaster.
    The first epic disaster was retaining Stotts after losing to the Pels in 2016.
     
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  9. wizenheimer

    wizenheimer Well-Known Member

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    2018...Stotts should have been fired then, but Olshey should have been fired in 2016
     
  10. MickZagger

    MickZagger Well-Known Member

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    Stotts inability to deviate when players struggled was one of my biggest peeves about him. How long is dude gonna struggle before you give the young guy waiting in the wings a shot?

    Rookies were perpetually in the dog house
     
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  11. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    Yes. We ARE in deep trouble. We are trying to basically build a contender around Dame in a couple years. Contenders need players at their highest value in their prime. We don’t need Neil Olshey bargain bin players.
     
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  12. Chris Craig

    Chris Craig (Blazersland) I'm Your Huckleberry Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Dame should've started calling out for change after the Pelicans series. The Blazers are now on their twos trying to pull off a quick rebuild to sate Dame.

    That said, how were the Blazers supposed to do that? You don't think Cronin was on the phone 24/7 trying to get something done?
     
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  13. Duckhook

    Duckhook Well-Known Member

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    I hope this thread is cathartic for the negative posters here. I came here hoping to read what people think about Cronin's initial moves. Instead, I'm reading peoples' pent up frustrations about Stotts/Olshey/McCollum...? I realize those 3 may have lead up to the situation we're in now, but Cronin wasn't working with a full cupboard when he became interim, and now GM.

    I give him credit for his initial moves and talent evaluations. Yeah the Clipper trade felt one-sided, but it got us under the luxury tax and it cleared the way for Ant to blossom. It also gave us a valuable trade piece with Bledsoe's expiring. And I like the Keon acquisition - he's going to surprise some people. Overnight, we've become more athletic and much more electric... and Joe isn't done. I'm expecting another big piece landing soon before we head to LV. Bottom line - I want players who want to play, want to be in Portland, and enjoy the game. No prima donnas... No Durant PLEASE. Watching this young, hungry summer league roster gets be jazzed for the future. Sorry this is too long and most won't read. But I'm excited about our future. I've been a fan since I was born in 72, and will always be a fan... unless the team is moved.

    I just don't get the angst when things aren't done yet. Let Cronin finish what he's started and let the cake bake. We're looking good!
     
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  14. Tince

    Tince Well-Known Member

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    For us to obtain players in the first 30 hours of free agency that were at their highest value in their prime would've also required giving up the rights to many players on our roster. I'm not sure this could be done in one-step. To stay on topic to the original post in this thread, I still believe teams are allowed to make moves outside of a 30 hour window on June 30th and July 1st and therefore things could change between now and the 2023 playoffs.
     
  15. Tince

    Tince Well-Known Member

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    I mostly agree. The looking good part is up in the air, but given the assets on the roster in December, Cronin is clearly trying something different. Most people wanted a major shake-up. Some of those same people seemed to be upset the shake up didn't result in 3 All-NBA players coming to Portland in 30 hours. Sadly, given the quantity of negative assets we had, that task was impossible if the requirement is to obtain players at their peak value today.

    I'm willing to give Cronin another year to start shaping this roster. I don't know if Dame is willing to.
     
  16. Chris Craig

    Chris Craig (Blazersland) I'm Your Huckleberry Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Not looking to be negative. I'm actually excited about SL and the regular season. I like Cronin's moves netting us Grant and Payton II. I like that we have Hart.

    The first move with the Clippers wasn't really a move, other than to make space, it was a favor that won't be returned. I don't fully blame Cronin for it. That has Jody and Bert's fingerprints all over it.

    It did hurt the Blazers. Ujiri thought he could get more out of us for Anunoby and the move fell through. Hopefully, Sharpe makes me thankful it did. Likely, the same thing happened with a Collins trade from ATL.

    Again, happy with Cronin's draft, trades, and signings here the past few weeks.

    I'm excited to see Dame return and play above what he has. Dude is going to come like a supe.

    I just feel like Dame should have called for change years ago (after the Pelicans slaughtered us in the playoffs). I get the pressure he is putting on the Blazers but it feels a little too late. I hope I am wrong. He is giving them a time limit, (which I get with him aging and only having so many years left) that feels a little unrealistic for a team like the Blazers to make a turn around in. I think he could spare a few more. He has plenty of time to go ring chase elsewhere if it doesn't work out.

    The Blazers are at least doing things different. There is accountability. There is a mindset that defense matters. We don't have a great team, but we have an underdog team with a chip on it's shoulder. Let's see what happens.
     
  17. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    Cronin quite possibly, or quite likely was. But yes, there likely weren't any option this summer to build a contender as Cronin, Dame and many fans were hoping for. But the main problem isn't Cronin time on the phone this summer; its Cronin putting himself in this no win situation. We should have had ideally a great GM, if not at least a competent GM start the rebuild once Neil was fired. Instead we rushed into a bunch of bad trades at the deadline that set the team on the path to the lack of options this summer. Now we are stuck with this shit roster.

    The one potential for hope is the Sharpe pick. If it wasn't for that this roster around Dame would be hopeless. That gives us a sliver of a hope, if he can become a star then maybe this team can become something. Odds are he won't hit that, but that is the only thing Cronin has done that gives this franchise a chance of building toward a contender. All of Cronins others moves are the same quality as Olshey's; if not worse.
     
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  18. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    I’m not entirely sure why you’re laying that out while we are debating them hard capping us and making it much much harder to go out and acquire the kind of talent it will need to build a contender around Dame.
     
  19. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    Yeah its odd that so many posters don't seem to realize we are hard capped, and what that restriction means exactly to this roster. We have almost no flexibility to make moves, plus the big salaries (Nurk, Simons, Grant, EBEC full salary) are ineligible to be traded. There is almost nothing this team can do to improve the roster from now until the season starts, outside of a minor move such as swapping a backup.
     
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  20. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    Yup. We are really stuck unless we want to trade Dame. We can’t make a major trade until Simons becomes tradeable.
     

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