Were there any positives about this fucking season (other than the Lakers sucking - let's keep it about the Blazers)? I guess it's easy to forget the thrill of excitement that many felt about Stotts being fired, and then many more felt about Olshey being fired. Some more suggestions: Chauncey's coaching (at least, post pre-season) Anfernee's development CJ getting traded (his play for the Pelicans has kind of dampened the celebration) For myself, I have to admit I like the new style of play. As someone who didn't think that Stotts was the problem and complained the loudest about Chauncey's bungled hiring (which was pretty inexcusable) and the play of the team early in the season (which was similarly inexcusable), I like what he's trying to do now, and the streak of games leading up to the All-Star break had me genuinely excited (before they shut down Nurk). So do I need to eat crow? Probably, but here's my defense: he was worse with a better set of players than Stotts. Stotts tried to win and got the best out of the team as constructed. Chauncey came in with a free hand to force a new style of play and it went disastrously until they broke up the team and brought in young players suitable to his style of coaching and play. For all we know Stotts could have flourished in that situation. Also, it's hard to crow about Chauncey when our own Ime Udoka is on course for COTY with the Celtics, who have been comfortably the best team in the NBA in 2022. But still. I'm almost optimistic about next season... UNLESS we try to rebuild around Dame again and trade our picks (which would be frankly crazy given the teardown we've just undergone, but then again, it's what Olshey basically did after Aldridge left).
Dame establishing just how loyal he is to Portland, and willing to help build a contender. What more could a Blazer fan ask for? I know, I know, an immediate leap to the championship.
yes, there are plenty of positive things about this season * 1) the biggest positive is FINALLY firing Olshey's ass after a decade of mismanagement. It should have happened years ago but better late than never * 2) the ancillary to firing Olshey is dismantling his roster of asinine bets. At least that's the way I look at it. I think Olshey made a terrible miscalculation and an even worse bet in 2015 when he fully committed Portland to building a team around Dame/CJ. And all his bets for the years after that idiotic leap of faith were simply doubling down on the initial bad bet. And for damn sure, if Olshey was still the GM he'd be doubling down again on the same reboot next season. So Cronin had a job to dismantle the roster, on the floor and in the payroll. He did that. You can legitimately argue with the return, but not so much with the intent * 3) and ancillary to 1 and 2 is finally trading CJ, which in turn, allowed for the emergence of Simons. The level CJ has played at in New Orleans doesn't matter, especially when you compare his numbers this season in Portland to those for the Pels. Portland needed CJ in another uniform, and CJ needed another uniform. A bonus here is that Portland finally landed a guard in Hart who complements Dame (and Ant) better than any guard since Matthews * 4) this could actually be #1b on the hit parade but it sure looks like the Blazers have Dame all-in for the duration. That didn't appear to be the case 10 months ago * 5) a successful tank. Yes, it's taking one of historic proportions, but the Blazers now have a shot at a top-4 pick and will have their first top-10 pick in 9 years. They also have a better than even shot at 2 lottery picks * 6) and the ancillary to the successful tank is that the Blazers have been able to take a long look at players that would have not seen the light of day if Portland was fighting for a playoff spot. Portland has a better perspective for gauging the lower parts of the rotation and back end of the roster than they've had for a lot of years
Extra time with my family Olshey fired Me-J gone Realization by the front office that our team was an also ran
I'm cautiously happy about Dame staying and building around him. I think we have the young talent to not take too much of a drop when he is done. However, my concern is the possibility of him getting another outsized extension which would severely limit team flexibility for several more years. We have others that are going to need to be paid both now and down-the-road.
I know I could look this up but when will the talks of the extension start and be done? I'm cautiously optimistic he will take a pay cut on the extension. It'd be actually shocking if he were to sign a max extension considering he and generations to come in his family are already set for life.
I probably didn't word that well. I don't feel like his last one was outsized but I feel like giving him another one at the potential max price-point he could get as he gets older would be outsized.
