After a strong preseason, what should the Blazer's goal be this year?

Could be players combined with coaches. Not certain obviously but I think he would have benefited from better leadership.

 

Newsflash: The Blazers are currently losers

 

That's demonstrably untrue, though, isn't it?

Chauncey's one of the best examples of that. Third overall pick played for three teams in his first three years. Then won an NBA title and just got inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Did Skrulls replace him?

 

what is "demonstrably untrue"?

I said players arrive with the talent and character they carry thru their careers; and that losing early in their careers doesn't significantly impact the talent and character they arrived with

Chauncey's team records his first few years:

36-46
16-66
14-36
35-47

he was 23 by then

according to the theory advocated in this thread, by some, Chauncey should have been a loser after a start like that

 

The Blazers don't seem to be committed to any path. It's like they see if they are any good, then if not they start tanking. I think they're going to attempt the same experiment this year.

 

then I must have misunderstood this:

and this:

I have said repeatedly I don't want any more blatant tanks when an effective organic tank is available

I want Portland to dump (yes, dump, for some value) the veterans that will only generate some extra wins damaging to Portland draft prospects. Then let the players who might actually be part of a future core (Sharpe-Scoot-Clingan-Deni) sink or swim as starters with major minutes. If those players generate too many wins for a top-5 pick, OK. But to have Simons-Grant-Ayton generate those wins is stupid...IMO

 

The goal should be to pair Flagg with Cling Kong for the next 12 years.


Cause even though I like scoot I don’t see superstar.

 

I think it's probably the prudent thing, because teams don't typically go from 20 wins to 50. Improvement's measured incrementally. It might not even be in wins.

I've posted this before, that this team could be A LOT better this season and it still probably winds up in the lottery just because there are so many good, proven teams in the West. But that's good for the Blazers, because these guys get seasoning and there'll be a nice addition to the mix next year either in the form of a lottery pick or a trade using that pick, and one would expect that with that and just the experience they're getting that the team would be even better the following season.

 

Just to bolster your argument there's this one guy Steve Nash who came into the league as a 22 year old college graduate after playing four years of lower level D1 ball. Nash struggled to be productive for his first four seasons, getting little playing time his first two seasons and then had a harder time being efficient as a starter in his third and fourth seasons. His fifth season he was third place for MIP. After that he was a perennial all star, won the MVP twice, all nba 6 times and the NBA assists leader 5 times. An all time great having a rocky start during his first four seasons after four years in college all but disproves the notion that NBA player shows up with the talent and character to succeed or they don't and Nash is just the most extreme example.

 

There is always an argument for losing on purpose.

Their first 13 games are really tough. (New Orleans 3 times and Minnesota 3 times) I don't think they need to try to lose. They will regardless.

However, if some strange unseen phenomena were to occur and they go 13-0...can they then try? How about 10-3?
I know it is a moot point because they won't, but I have no problem sitting on that fence for a while.

 

Per 48 preseason stats - what jumps out?

 

83 games is better than 82 games, period

 

Get a top 5 pick.

 

Yes. And getting as many more past 82 as often as possible is better than getting 86 once over a decade and then having to start rebuilding again.

The players should always be playing to win. But there is not one championship team outside of destination markets in the last 20 years that has made every move to win every game they possibly could every season.

That's simply not how winners are built in the NBA anymore.

The math doesn't math.

 

Forge a team identity. There is no superstars on this roster so it has to be something else. Defense, toughness, won’t quit?? Take your pick

 

You don't get to the top of the mountain in the NBA without a super-star.

The Blazers need to figure out if Shaedon Sharpe is one of those. There are other players who could be good 2nd options.

I guess Scoot could be a #1 super-star someday but right now he's barely a backup.

Anyway, if there is no #1 super-star option , figuring out of which should be Coach Billups #1 job, then the Blazers should be tanking again.

 

I'm not sure I can squint enough to see Scoot as a super-star

thinking about Curry, Morant, Doncic, SGA, Fox in the west, Haliburton, Brunson, Dame, Young, Lamelo in the east. It's hard enough to see Scoot as even a all-star level player...or top-10 PG. Maybe that last hurdle is achievable. Right now, the only superstar possibility is Sharpe and his glow has faded quite a bit.

Clingan may eventually enter the DPOY discussion, but that's a way off and he's not the kind of player that can lead a team to the promised land