The NBA dropped Portland 3 spots to #30 in the latest NBA Power Rankings. The head company reporters are not impressed with Cronin's Frankenstein roster. This is first time I've ever seen Portland ranked dead last. _______ _____ ___ #30 PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS Last Week:27↓ 2022-23 record: 33-49 OffRtg: 114.0 (18) DefRtg: 118.0 (28) NetRtg: -4.0 (26) Pace: 99.3 (17) The best picks in the Blazers‘ collection are their own, and it’s safe to assume that they’ll be one of the three teams with the highest Lottery odds next May. But their next franchise cornerstone may already be on the roster, and Scoot Henderson will have the ball in his hands. ___ (sorry, my tablet is a weirdo and sometimes i can't post the link. Go to NBA.com power rankings to find the latest reviews)
Since this is year three of Joes y7 Chauncey's show I would hope they plan on being a playoff team as a first step, within a year or two after this season.
Blazers PR probably cut the power rankers checks. Make the team look completely void of good basketball, so fans will believe Portland is far exceeding expectations.
Blazers make playoffs, Chicago gets to steal Portland's FRP. If there was a year to make playoffs, this season would be it. The Blazers own the Warriors pick next summer.
Then the rebuild would be another 4-5 years after this season. Then the cycle could repeat its self. As long as the team instills hope and excitement through future drafts and a youth movement with solid ticket sales why change course?
Blazers can go back to losing in 2024/25. They don't have to make the playoffs EVERY year. It would be a big spark to team chemistry, winning & playoffs & much needed happy Coach to end the season.
The Blazers are markedly better than the really bad teams in the east IMO great part of the difficulty for the Blazers moving forward is just being a western conference team, the path to the playoffs would be MUCH easier for a roster like this in the east.. I truly believe that and frankly Wembanyama landing on a western team only makes things more difficult..
I disagree with this timeframe just cuz (a)we can completely pull the plug on this iteration of the rebuild in the summer of 2026! and (b) then we have all of these extra 1st rd picks in '28, '29 and '30 --- so I dont see a rebuild in 2028, unless several seasons go disasterously wrong we should certainly be in "pedal to the metal" mode by 2028 and looking to spend assets that help playoff matchups.. i think the "2nd rebuild" would actually occur in the summer 2026 if we need to "pull the plug" so really im sure many more casual fans are like on a "here we go again" or "lets wait and see" but really when u look at the contracts. the blazers have a lot riding on a 2-year timeframe going into a very important summer of '26, which is cool cuz i think that alligns with a solid timeline for Chauncey n several things.. but this is an explosive situation not a slow burn.. plus if ur being objective bottoming out in the summer of 2025 and 2026 isnt the worst scenario for the blazers either (though they wont want to let the fans know that)..
The center Senguin is excused, he played well... aside from him they look putrid though hahaha BRUTAL debut for Amen Thompson too.. what a horror show.. They shoulda taken James Harden back! they really paid Fred Van Vleet like hes Harden and then Cole Anthony just bodied him off the bench on a value deal...
If we decide to move the vets, Grant, Williams, Brogan and who know maybe Ant and/or Ayton for future picks , would we not be into a second rebuild if those picks are used for drafting youngsters? And I would guess the time frame moves another 4 years out. And even if you traded those picks for the not really wanted season vet or two, it's still a reload that would take a few years to bake. I think the chances of us being still being a playin team 2-3 years from now is very real unless we covet veteran role players along the way.
Well Grant is here for sometime i think, plus hes sorta very flexibile between positions n relatively young so idk about the urgency to move him.. brogdon's 2 year deal expires a summer before then 2nd rebuild which seems pedantdic but id say is relevant so he's sort of a stop-gap n form of insurance plus hes a bit older for this team -- but at the same time an exceptional role model... but Im sure u can see what i mean in the summer of 2026 with the unrestricted deals like simons ayton n williams plus Sharpe's restricted I get what yur saying but I think we might be able to improve internally more and faster than your anticipating.. or maybe im hopeful.. im an optimist afterall
