I would add that IMO Sharpe will end up as a vastly better 3-point shooter. Clyde would either make it or shoot an airball. But that was a different era.
Especially since I believe he can add another 10 lbs of muscle to that frame. Not this year of course but by the time he is 22. I see him playing both wing positions long-term and having a shooter like Ant spreading the floor will help both he and Scoot.
Personally I want nothing to do with Sharpe being the regular starting SF. He is a SG, and a better one than Ant. Just the way it is in my opinion. But just because we have Ant does not mean to move the taller Sharpe to SF. Portland will then be undersized at both SG and SF. I'm sure Cronin has learned from the Dame/CJ/Powell lineup that small ball sucks. Sharpe should be the starting SG, period. Ant or Brogdon should be the sixth man with the other traded for a fair return, whatever that may be. My two cents.
So, with the Shae/Clyde comparisons (or similarities) be espoused, where are on our path to recreating that incredible 90's team? Porter: Scoot? Clyde: Shae Jerome: Camara Buck: ??? Duck: Ayton (although I think Ayton has a better all-around game) Who do we get to fill the Buck position?
That was me. I was saying we have to stop sweating him only for his dunks or he’ll be known as Gerald Green
Remember, we traded for Buck and he was basically the final piece. I am thinking history will repeat itself and we will make that trade in a season or two. Does not have to be this season. Ayton and Brogdon are the only playoff proven players on the team. I do not think Brogdon will be around when Portland starts contending. He may not be here after the trade deadline. Ayton will be. I think the PF of the future is in the league now. No idea who it is. But he is developing on someone else's dime at the moment. Portland has the assets to trade for him now. Does not have to be an all-star. Good defender and rebounder that can put up 10-12 PPG.
I think whoever it is needs to have more range than Buck had on offense. Porter was an excellent 3pt shooter. Unless Scoot improves in that area, we will need one of our forwards to make up for it. Actually, I see Camara more as a Buck Williams type, (doing the dirty work) so maybe someone who can spread the floor like......Grant? Long term I think we need to draft a dynamic young forward. No one is going to trade us one.
Funny to think that PF is a position I’m most worried about and our current PF is a 20 pt a game scorer. I would love an enforcer type of PF (Draymond type without as much crazy). A guy who can is capable scorer, excellent defender and rebounder. I also like tough guys at this position guys who will protect our young guys and send a message if you foul one of our guys hard he’s going to do the same thing down at the other end. Don’t necessarily won’t really young guy at this position
I’d definitely consider most of today’s PFs as wings, and I agree, I’d love to move Grant for a wing. I think we are still probably top 5-6 in odds for the #1 pick, so multiple of the wings like any of Holland, Edwards, Buzelis, and Almasa could still be available in our range. So really, we just need Ant and Grant to turn into one top tier prospect and some 1sts. Spitballing here, maybe we send Grant to Cleveland eventually, Allen is sent to the Pels, and we get Jones + filler. Scoot + Ant + Shae + Jones + Ayton—there’s a chance that the wing duo of Shae and Herb can terrorize opposing wings on the defensive side of the ball.
If the Blazers start running more, and if Grant can get his shooting efficiency back up to near 60% True Shooting, he actually is a good fit. Last night he dribbled the ball coast-to-coast with authority and scored easily. He did take 10 free throws last night too, which is murder for the other team and are easy, high-percentage points for the Trail Blazers. What is very worrisome early in the season about Grant is his overdribbling, taking long-range 2-pointers, and off-balance, wild shots. I think those bad things will lessen the more Scoot and Shaedon handle the ball, and the more the players get to know each other. If the Blazers have Ayton gobbling up rebounds, and Camara or another SF who rebounds, the best type of PF would seem to be one who can do what Grant does well - dribble the ball on the fast break, finish the fast break (or as a cutter) well in traffic, and shoot 3-pointers well. The key is that his shooting quality needs to go up, to the level it was last season. Which he obviously proved he can do. If he can't, he's not a good fit.
Herb is a 33% 3-point shooter. Replacing Grant with him seems to be both an upgrade and a downgrade. I would prefer a 3-and-D PF. Herb has the D, but not the 3.
Jerami Grant is really good at bottling up the opposing bigs in the paint so Camara, Sharpe, etc can coral the boards. It's why Josh Hart and Dame were getting 10 boards a night playing next to him. People don't see his defense for what it brings to the team. If we outrebound the opponent, it's a team skill. Grant frustrated the hell out of Siakam when we played Toronto and kept him off the glass. He's part of why we're the 13th ranked defense in the league today. We got 56 boards to 44 boards against Detroit. I'll take that any game.
Which is a good complement, rather than a redundancy, of Ayton's rebounding skills. Also, when you tie up/ bottle up a player, that is exactly what Robert Williams is looking for as a help defender (and other help defenders in the future).
Didn’t read the thread, but I think his best play of the night was after a turnover I believe, he chased them down on a fast break and swiped the ball down and off of the Piston player’s knee. Fantastic hustle play that you won’t even see in the box score!
I think he would fit well as a starter next to 3 shooters. (Plus Ayton) So next to Malcolm, Shae, and Grant, or Ant, Shae, and Grant.....but not too sure about starting him with Scoot. If we continue to start Scoot right now, I would start Shae and Brogdon next to him. ( or Ant when he gets back) I just think you need 3 good outside shooters on the floor at all times and neither Scoot, Carmara, or Ayton are at this point in time
