Try to trade Grant/Brogdon for FRP(s) I'd listen to offers for Ayton/Ant as well but since their younger its not as critical - should have similar value next year to the Blazers or going out in a trade. Just keep trying to add talent until we have multiple above average starters. Currently we have none, at best ONE if you consider Ayton at that level. Once we get a few of those THEN consider adding a veteran or trading youth/picks for a veteran and making a playoff push. The length of rebuilding/tanking doesn't depend on how long the Blazers have been doing it - it depends on how much talent the team has to make the next step of competing in the playoffs. Ideally its only another few years. If it takes longer yeah that sucks but it is what it is.
This whole thing just looks bad for the Blazers. I sincerely hope Cronin isn't doing this... I understand it if it's coming from Vulcan. It's how they got rid of Olshey... This team can't be sold to Phil Knight (or equivalent) soon enough.
So many teams have been wholesale tanking lately. Why would it matter if the Blazers are doing it? San Antonio blatantly tanked to get Wemby.
Used to count on one hand the owners that might be better than Paul Allen. Now we probably can count on one hand the worse ones? Not even sure who that'd be. Maybe Wiz/Charlotte owners. Suns owner looks foolish, but they're still a playoff team and fringe contender.
I don't think tanking is a problem at all. At this point, it's our only logical direction. But firing Billups assistants out from under him to convince him to quit (giving up all or part of his contract) is what looks bad. This just wreaks of Jody/Bert to me. Even if Billups doesn't end up quitting... they completely disrespected him.
I think if coach Roy had been fired (or whatever his name is) it'd be a bigger sign. With these guys getting let go, not sh sure it's a sign of anything
I mean, it's his brother. You don't do that right now unless you're being shady, IMO. It seems pretty clear.
Not if his brother sucked as a coach, or had a coaching gig in college lined up. Rodney had zero NBA coaching experience prior to Portland, right? Maybe he's getting calls that would pay him more, and his brother is doing him a solid.
If he's leaving to take another job you let him do it without letting the rest of the staff go, in a way that doesn't look bad for Billups. Even if he sucks, move him to a different position with the team or something. You do that if you respect your head Coach and care about being able to hire a good coach in the future. Just firing most of Billups staff out from under him is a bad, bad look, IMO.
The rest of the staff included a guy who probably wants a head coaching job (Brooks) and another guy who got promoted (Hertzel or whatever his name was) and someone most of us already forgot about.
Technicality, but they weren't fired.... Their contracts just were not being renewed. There is a slight difference. Also, why are we assuming that Billups had no say in the matter? Most teams allow the coach to pick their own assistants. I could see a scenario (and I'd say with a good probability) that Joe told Billups that "We'd like you to upgrade your assistants and get more experience and different voices on the bench. We'd like you to change out Brooks and Rodney. We aren't going to renew their contracts." Honestly, I don't have an issue with it. It looks like Hetzel left for promotion. I have not seen anything indicating that Roy Rogers or Jonah Herscu are going anywhere.
Yeah, I don't know the details. It just doesn't look good. This just seems to be how the team does business now.
I would certainly think that is exactly what the difference of opinion is. What coach would want to continue to tank? I mean just look at this message board. For the most part, we think he sucks based on his won-loss record. Who wouldn't get tired of that? Now maybe he does suck, but we don't really know for sure. We are not in the locker room nor the practice facility....and with the goal being to lose more than the other lottery teams.....it makes it tough on the coach. He is tired of it, the season ticket holders are tired of it, the vets are tired of it, and soon enough...... so will the young players. But I understand why they are doing it.
Well, I think he sucks ass. But not based on his win/loss record. He actually has very few redeeming qualities. Including the fact that he was worse than Terry Stotts with virtually the same team. About the same defensively, and far, FAR worse offensively.
What so Phoenix is going to be the dumping ground for the Blazers? Nurk-Eubanks-Billups? I don't think a team that is trying to contend is going to hire a coach with a 80-160 win loss record?
