The curious case of the 24/25 season

What pissed so many of us off last year was the decision to play Ayton, Ant and Grant over the young guys. Mostly because anyone with a fucking brain could see the youth was our best shot at being respectable some day. Now two of those guys are sent packing. 1 has picks attached to him to get rid of him, and the other was waived. Both of these players were on expiring contracts, too. So, what in the hell was last year all about? Was it Bert (yes)? Was it The Conductor? Was in Joe?

 

Made zero sense last year to give them so much PT. It was insane how many fans here supported them playing big minutes.

Glad two of the three are now gone.

But it makes the decision to bench Scoot/Sharpe the last two years even more perplexing.

 

That is an interesting question. Ant and Ayton are gone and it appears they were never in the teams future plans, so why play them so much over the young players? Makes you wonder what the deal was. My thoughts was showcasing them for trades, but in the end they didn’t get much for them.
I do wish they went all in on the rebuild, however what is done, is done, can’t go back on it now. But even rebuild plan requires lottery luck too.

 

Nobody has any clue whatsoever what the plan or strategy is with this team. That’s what is most frustrating and truly pathetic. You can pick just about any other team and say “they are trying to do X”. Win now, rebuild, they’re a piece away, they are young and learning to win, etc. Portland is young, then old, then young, vets out, Jrue in, didn’t tank, but had no shot at playoffs. It’s a joke.

 

playing them was to increase their value. it did the opposite

 

Merge with the meltdown thread…

 

This isn’t melting down, your post is. Mine is a topic starter of WTF?

 

Thats some backwards ass logic.
You start a thread with…”what pissed us off most…”

and i say “merge with the meltdown thread” and you consider my post a meltdown but not yours?????

Not “all of us” are pissed off about it. Just a few who refuse to see anything outside of their tunnel-vision for the team. As if their logic is the only sane logic and super-cedes anything the FO might be planning/trying behind closed doors. You know…the experts?

Saying my post was melting down but yours isnt?
Thats some seriously assbackwards funny shit right there!!!
Thanks for the laugh!

 

Anyone with a fucking brain? Pretty obvious they played them early on to try to raise their trade values but unfortunately that didn't happen. In the end though while Ant was 2nd on the team in minutes last season, Grant and Ayton were 6th and 8th... they were not played over the young guys. Camara was 1st, Sharpe 3rd, Deni 4th, Scoot 5th & rookie Clingan 7th. The young guys got plenty of minutes and yet thats what you're bitching about...

STOMP

 

Logic escapes many…

 

It's a legitimate question. And now we waive a big salary but take on more money for an even older guy. They almost have to move Grant, don't they? Otherwise, one of Deni or Tou is coming off the bench and that doesn't seem like the smartest decision going forward.

And @STOMP , Ant, Grant and Ayton were #1, #3 and #5 in MPG. So when they were healthy, they were taking up starters minutes along with Tou and Sharpe. To count overall minutes for the season when they missed games to injury is a bit disingenuous, don't you think?

 

Are we sure Grant had a legitimate injury? Wasn't he out with a face injury for a long time?

 

I question Aytons injries as well.

i am hinting for mjnth by month minutes for the players, but right off the bat, Ayton only played in 40 games and Clingan 67. We also know Clingan had a legit injury in the first half of the season. We also know he had endurance needing to be built up.
Id bet than when i find the minutes per month, we see an increase in Clingan and a decrease in Ayton as the season goes on.

 

See, you’re posts are still melting down

 

Riggghhht. Lol. I do like your passive aggression.

 

oh please. Not only is there a big question as to the legitimacy of their injuries that we'll never know but it sure seems like they were held out, but the complaint was that the youngins didn't get minutes to develop when they very clearly did. He's complaining about them not doing what they did... which is weird

STOMP

 

I posted the minutes in the Ayton thread I believe. I thought I was responding in this thread. But the minutes are there for everyone to see. Facts don't lie. Just opinions.

Not weird. Just melting down aided by revisionist history.

 

I think someone's username should be changed to SMC. Semantic Causing Panic.

 

Yes they were taking huge minutes. In particular I remember Scoot playing the best basketball of his career, scoring very well, starting a number of games, it being after the trade deadline - then he gets benched for the Ant/Ayton/Grant trio.

Also its not just pure minutes that is an issue - it was the offense going with #1 #2 #3 options of Ant Grant Ayton. So even when Sharpe and Scoot got minutes they had to sit and the corner while Grant shot below 40% and hauled in 3 rebounds per game. Deni was our best player but either coming off the bench or defering to that stupid trio as well.

It was a stupid decision at the time for MULTIPLE YEARS and has been proven even dumber today. Insane that posters here are still arguing in favor of the minutes/role for the AntGrantAyton big3!

 

^^^Insane, Dumb & Stupid^^^

STOMP