Exclusive Vote - Anybody change their opinion on tanking this year?

Unfortunately I don't think there is any changing it now.

We're going to be too good to tank next season, even if we traded those guys.

Just have to try and enjoy the games hope for the best now.

Looking forward to Jody selling the team.

 

And somewhat healthy, knock on wood.

 

While management can lead a team to tank by holding guys out or directing the coach to play youngins who aren't ready, players always try to win. With Shaedon & especially Scoot elevating their play of late, Portland has fewer guys who suck to put on the court... the young guys are turning into a strength instead of a liability. The addition of Deni as a secondary playmaker & versatile defender & the continued development off Toumani gives them their best set of forwards in over a decade. Whether posters like it or not, the tank is over because the young guys already here have elevated their games.

Whether the team can someday contend is the big question ahead of them which hinges primarily on the continued development of the youngins. Scoot and Shaedon are already among the best run/jump athletes in a league full of them. If their skills and BBIQ catch up to their physical abilities to where they can be the driving offensive force nightly, this team will be legit. Today though I'm mainly just enjoying seeing them start to have things click

STOMP

 

Absolutely. Now that we know Scoot and Sharpe are legit (as I assume the team has known all along) probably our best chance at losing enough this year would have been to trade Grant for a pick and offload Simons (for whatever his value was) in the off season.

We'd probably have had even less success the first half of the season and a better chance at a higher pick, even if we came on strong to finish the season.

Oh well. Like you say, that's in the past. Time to enjoy the team being competitive again.

 

You don't know that.

 

If we do that would be great. It's very unlikely though.

 

Oh please, those better picks wouldn’t have helped us anyway. We’d have to be competently managed first!

 

Nice post....as a 74 year old die hard basketball fan, Ive seen many changes to the league over the years. Mostly good. The 1 and done or direct from hs players is, to me the biggest change with regards the effect its had on the league. I started watching the game with my pop back ion the mid fifties, pro, college and hs. Went to many Far West classics and State HS tourneys. Seen many great players at those levels come through Portland. And many did make the pros, not all lasted however. Its amazing when you think of the money now that these youngsters get from the get go, and how its got to be mind boggling and distracting to call of them to a certain degree, especially for young 19 years old coming directly form HS to pros like Shae & Scoot. G league no different than rat ball played at Milwaukie Elks. I cant imagine how I would have dealt with that kind of money at 19. I know the money buys them the support that helps them transition to the league, however there is no skirting the youth/immaturity factor for these young guys. Once they mature more, into their mid 20's, they will become more consistent better players. When I watch Shaedon Sharpe Im impressed with the way he carries himself, however his youthfulness and immaturity (in a great way) shows up in interviews and such. That's why imo, he's deferred so much is first couple years. You can see that he's gaining more confidence that you develop as you get older and more adjusted to your craft.