Two different teams

Yeah, two different teams: One I enjoy watching and one I don't.

Ant & Grant seem to have a desire to take on the "Dame" mantel. They seem to play their version of hero ball. Both have skills but neither seems a great team player.

Yeah, the team struggled a lot while those two were out but they also seemed more of a "team" and more focused on playing nitty-gritty Billups-ball. They had a long way to go to be good, but they had effort and you could see potential hope down the road.

With Ant & Grant, I just envision many more years of, at best, mediocre semi-hero ball teams. They are probably our two best scorers but overall we just don't seem to gel as a team as well with them there. As someone else pointed out, they seem determined to "get theirs". I don't know if that is it or they don't trust the rest of the team or they just think they are "the man" or what, but I don't enjoy watching that "team" play.

 

Cool. If you have been watching the games you’d see how Aytons problems are mostly his own fault. You wouldn’t be able to see from highlights or radio calls.

 

He has way more problems than being soft and passive.

 

Cool. That doesn’t mean Chauncey’s schemes prioritize Ayton enough.

yes, and yes.

 

I'm inclined to believe that Grant is being featured and will be traded before the deadline. Ant is a mystery to me. He is trying harder on defense but him playing outside the offense fucks up the type of player movement that translates on both ends. I would be thrilled if we were featuring him to be traded as well but I'm not holding my breath and I wouldn't want to take less than I think Ant is worth.

Grant will have several suitors and I think we'll get decent value for him but he's 30 and just a half step up from your typical 3 and D guy. Ant is a different story, he's 24 can score from anywhere on the floor, he's shown that he is effective on offense both with the ball and off of it. I think he has the athletic tools to be a decent defender too. He should have really high value with a team like Toronto where they have a play making big forward like Barnes who is Ant's age, they would be a wicked pairing for a long time. The problem is Masai wants to dominate every deal and I think they'd have to give up Dick and two unprotected FRPs for Ant for me to be happy. Ant still has all star potential but he's just not the right guy to play next to Shae and I think Shae has superstar potential.

 

This is Ant's sixth season with us he's probably ready for a change in scenery.

 

You think Ant wants out?

 

That would be so cool but again only if we get the kind of value that makes sense.

 

If you think ANT can bring back 2 unprotected 1st splease send we some of whatever it is your taking! Not a chance, frankly little chance for one unprotected first

 

what was the "bench stare" thing he did about last game?

 

there are full recaps of all the games to watch and as I said I've watched plenty of them...I've seen Ayton play enough to know he's got a money jumper at the elbow...a great free throw stroke...rebounds well but doesn't have great hands or set great screens. If you have specifics you've observed from him, maybe address those without the blanket statements next time. He's just come back from injury and has played with a different starting lineup most of the games he's played. Chemistry takes reps. He's the least of my concerns roster wise so far.As to the radio guys, they have a better live view of the game than you do. They are engaged in the whole game, good and bad. You probably haven't followed their broadcasts...I like them better than Calabro. Radio team is top notch in Portland.

 

Don't know but he's a young millionaire athlete who could easily want a change.

 

naaaah, Anfernee loves being a Blazer. Every GM benches their best players for an entire month (or more). He can go all out in a shortened season, and eventually his company will tell him to stop. Time for tank Blazers.

Now... that 2025/2026 Blazer team will be crazy. That'll be a contract extension year for Ant, and the Blazers will be stuffed full of super rookies. MVP Simons... 35ppg... waaaaa ?!?

 

LOL, NO. Any reaction towards the bench yesterday was because of a shot or and-1, etc. He ended up on the floor after a pick, threw the ball ahead, stared down the bench and slapped the floor after the stop.

 

Yeah, a lot of comments lately have been an overreaction. All the things you say about him are true. Jumper is great, good ft shooter, good defender when he wants to be.

Even though I haven’t turned on DA like a lot of people have, but there are valid reasons to be concerned. The effort is just not there at times. You would’ve thought that that after started 3/4, he would demand the ball more, but he ended up 3/5. Even if you still support DA, that should still bother you. I’m hoping you’re right, that it’s just working his way back from injury.

But really, he has guys talking about wanting Reath as the starting center. DA was a +1 and Reath was a -8, and people are actually talking about it. It’s an overreaction, but it’s concerning still.

 

Maybe the way to get back on the winning track is to quit throwing up 3-pointers, which is easy and lazy, and start going to the hoop.

 

Nice job by Camara to attack the hoop instead of taking the 3-pointer.

 

Losing can do that.

 

Simons just jacked up a very unnecessary shot.

he was 2-8 on threes last game so I would think he'd be a little more choosy on his attempts.

 

I mean, like 2-3 of those were in the last couple of minutes when we were down more than 10 points. He was also 11/14 of 2pt which some people were on him for the last few games.

But yeah, you’re right dude.