Event With the 16th pick, Blazers have selected Hansen Yang

OKC did draft Chet with their own pick. Who else have they drafted with their pick? They didn't draft SGA. Jalen pick was from trade. Dort was undrafted. I'm not seeing them as an example to tank. More they are an example to get picks back in trades.

Now I do agree that acquiring picks and assets in trades is a vital key. But that has nothing to do with tanking that your such a big proponent of.

Only player 6ers got after a half decade of extreme tanking that was ultimately worth a damn in the draft was Embiid. Most the other guys like Maxey McCain were late picks. I'm not sure we can consider the 6ers to have ever been a contender since they never got past the 2nd round in a weak East

Boston certainly built through the draft with Tatum/Brown. But that wasn't their own picks - it was from a trade. Hopefully the Bucks picks we have can get some of that value.

Golden State did build with some great draft picks, but none of them were top lottery picks.

If anything your just convincing me further of how little a teams own picks at the top of the lottery should be the main part of building a contender.

 

Philadelphia even had back-to-back number one overall picks. (2016/2017).

 

So they got set for the next decade with that talent, right?

Oh wait - Simmons and Fultz are vet minimum guys or unemployed. Whoops!

 

I don't care if it was their own pick or not. I've already said if we could trade for more I would be all for it.

We don't have the assets. That's the whole reason to tank. To gain assets.

We aren't good enough to compete because we don't have valuable enough assets. The same reason we probably won't be able to trade our way to becoming a championship contending team.

I've never said anything about "our own" picks. That's you moving the goal posts.

 

Were they not contenders after that? Oh, I guess they were... Maybe because they gathered enough valuable assets?

Moving the goal posts isn't helping your cause.

 

It's not surprising but great post. Yang gives opponents so much to think about in terms of his offense: screens, the passing ability, the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the hoop, the ability to finish strong around the hoop and exhibit some touch when needed and the fact that he knocks down some open jumpers while making his free throws (7 for 8 in SL). He also is already a very good rim protector on defense even though he does get lost in space (not the 60s TV show or the subsequent adaptations for the big screen, he just seems to have trouble when being asked to guard away from the hoop).

That makes him extremely effective in SL. Can't wait to see how it will translate in pre-season and then regular season play.

 

Blazers have a nice stash of draft assets.

All their own picks outside of the non lottery Olshey debt one
2028 Orlando unprotected
2028 Bucks swap unprotected
2029 Bucks unprotected
2029 Boston unprotected
2030 Bucks swap unprotected

How many teams have better picks?

Nets and Jazz probably but their rosters really suck.
SAS probably did but they've used up some of that so now about even.
OKC?

Seems like Cronin did pretty well to build that up.

I certainly don't think the Blazers are done building.

But I don't understand your doom and gloom stance that Blazers don't have the assets. They don't have ALL of them. But they have a lot of them.

Seems to me they are in a spot many teams were previously in that eventually became a contender. The Blazers certainly need some more good moves to get there. Will they? I'm not sure. But if 2-3 young guys pop they're right in the mix and have one of the more exciting rosters in the league. Blazers have the talented youth where 2-3 certainly could pop, unlike many teams.

 

That's the thing... they COULD make a big swing if they wanted to.

 

LOL

 

Yang is a team-first big man with a lot of skills that I think will be a lot more complementary to the roster and hopefully to winning that Ayton was.

 

entirely possible....Clingan, as a rookie, was better than Ayton last season

 

dude is obedient. dude rockin a six pack at his height is impressive

 

So they have 3 seasons with multiple picks. Hopefully they turn into something good which will help us contend. I'd love to see it.

Or, that's about enough to bring in an all star if we're willing to deal some real assets as well..

Is adding one all star (minus Scoot or Sharpe) to this team enough?

 

Was Dame enough for the Bucks?

 

Blazers aren't one final move away today so no.

First Blazers need to get a better starter. Maybe that's a young guy breaking out. Maybe that's a 2026 or later pick. Maybe that's a better version of the Deni trade. Maybe it happens or maybe it doesn't. I'm excited for about the first time in over a decade to see us try.

If the Blazers do get a big improvement such as one of those yes they could then shove their chips all in to get that final piece.

That's a better spot to be in 2-5 years from now than most the league.

 

Yang wants the smoke

 

Forgot to add...
Many of Yang's issues are fixable, which is another source of optimism:

Easily Fixable, but some may take time:

• Upper body strength.
• Endurance.
• Language - on and off the court. (Defense is particularly predicated on oral communication.)
• Culture and Comfort.
• Familiarity with the offense.
• Knowing your teammates and your opponents tendencies.

Harder to Fix, but inroads are definitely possible:

• Quickness
• Turnovers (making the spicy pass is just too tempting right now )
• Time Pressure. Between learning a language that doesn't share an alphabet and everything else he has to learn, he need to spend many more hours a day learning than his colleagues. This is stressful and exhausting, even with his translator. Imagine someone handed you this, and said "this is our playbook, learn it inside and out"

He's handling the pressure right now, but that could easily change.

 

Fat boy, you say...

 

Does Yang have any scary siblings?