That's true.... in that post. But he was just responding to your post, which was responding to my post
I want to be evaluating Murray and Rupert. Giving Sharpe minutes at the 3 seemingly hinders that plan. So, see ya Ant.
I know we aren't going to do it, but we should do it. But I also really doubt he'll improve his value.
If Ant can recover his close to 50% 3P C&S statistics, he become an intriguing option for any playoffs team that want a relief valve next to whoever their stars are. That's exactly why the Blazers need to start him.
I didn't say he couldn't increase value, just that I don't think he will. I think everyone knows he can shoot, so even if he proves to be a lights-out shooter, I don't think that remedies other teams' concerns for him. Really poor AST/TO ratio Really, really poor defensively And I'm skeptical that GMs will suddenly value him more for putting up empty stats on high usage on a trash-ass team.
If a team believes they can be contenders instead of 1st or 2nd round fodder and the difference is a deadly C&S 3P shooter, he becomes attractive. Believing he is or not going to increase his value does not change the fact that if you do not try to increase his value, he is on the roster for the next 2 years at least. While Ant has been in the league for a while, he was really a featured player for 2 years - and in one of them, his C&S stats have taken a hit when playing next to Dame. You want to reinforce that issue if you think you need to trade him and get value back.
On this forum, familiarity really does breed contempt. I hope in a few years, we're not ripping Scoot and Shae to shreds.
He doesn't have to be on the roster "for the next 2 years at least" if you're willing to cut bait. It's essentially the sunk-cost fallacy... Unless you truly believe he's going to raise his value. And he might. And as you elude to, we might be able to get more from him at a trade deadline when some desperate contender is willing to overpay for him. I would still say it's more beneficial to get Scoot / Sharpe / Rupert and Murray as many minutes as possible, but I can see why some (or many) would disagree with that position.
you're right...in this forum, for this team, there is a lot of familiarity with undersized SG's who are way to small to play wing and who are shitty at defense, and never improve at it no matter how much their fans say they can. I wouldn't call it contempt though, I'd just call it a strong desire to shitcan the experiment at the end of the 8th season it failed, instead of rebooting it for a 9th season when Sharpe and Scoot are on the roster. A desire to see Portland field a balanced roster with a logical rotation that fits the current NBA and stop playing guys out of position so the team can shove a square peg into a round hole elsewhere
Sorry, you can't tell me he is not good enough to have no trade value and not having him on the roster or having other equally bad crap is not functionally the same. Ant has won the right to be a starter at least at the start of next year - and it actually is beneficial for the Blazers as he might increase his trade value or prove that he is worth keeping around next to Shae / Scoot. If it does not, it changes nothing, he (or equally bad stuff on the same salary scale) would be on the roster for the next 2+ years.
This is where we fundamentally disagree. 1) We lose out on half a season of development for Scoot, Sharpe, Rupert, and Murray. 2) All of the above players are going to be playing significant minutes out of position, if at all, assuming Simons is on this roster. This means we lose out on development AND the development we do get them is going to be in a role that most likely isn't suitable for them moving forward. Additionally, I don't care what we get back in return. FRP, SRP, or an equivalent player, or a couple of lesser players, expiring contract. As long as they aren't under 6'6 and free up minutes for our youth to play (in their actual positions)... I'm all for it. And like I said, if he increases his value from 1FRP to 2FRP, to me, that's still not worth it. If he becomes an all-star, sure, I'd regret the move. And under no circumstances do I want to keep Ant, Shaedon, and Scoot long-term. 3 no-defense guards and 2 playing out of position? Lol, what are we doing? Did we learn nothing in the last decade?
Fair enough. I hope the FO is closer to my opinion than yours, but time will tell. FWIW, I don't think Sharpe at the #2 or #3 position changes anything for his development, frankly, it might actually help him to play against bigger, stronger player - because if he later moves to the #2, it might be easier for him. Also I don't think Scoot plays anything other than 1 if Ant plays or not, so I do not think it matters much either. But, I think it is clear where we differ in opinion and that's good enough for me. Thank you for keeping the discussion civil and on point, does not always happen in the forum.
How do you figure 2 would be playing out of position? There are 96 guard minutes? Why wouldn't at least two be playing their primary position the majority of the time? Also, do we know that Scoot and Shaedon are going to be bad defenders? I don't think they profile that way, they're just green. We've never seen Ant play with a real PG. He could look great with better catch and shoot opportunities than he's had with Dame. While it's understandable to express strong resistance by saying "under NO CIRCUMSTANCES," it's pretty dramatic. I think it's important to remember that there are always circumstances in which a particular decision can be justified. This allows for a more comprehensive evaluation of a situation and the potential consequences of different choices. In your example, if a circumstance existed where 100 children would perish in a bus crash off a cliff, it becomes evident that pursuing a different circumstance would be the morally correct choice. This demonstrates how circumstances can drastically influence the outcome of decisions. Adopting a more open-minded approach enables us to adapt, learn, and make more informed choices. It fosters empathy, understanding, and the ability to see beyond our initial beliefs. Embracing the idea that circumstances matter encourages personal growth, enhances problem-solving skills, and promotes a more harmonious and compassionate society.
