Biggest/most important "unknowns" for this upcoming Blazer season

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by PtldPlatypus, Sep 28, 2022.

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  1. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Seems to me like most of the excitement for the Blazer fanbase this year is because the perceived "treadmill team" ceiling has been removed. At the same time, a lot of the hesitation to believe from other fans is based on how many of the elements of this team are unproven. So I'm curious--what do you all think are the most important "unknowns" going into this preseason that will be the determining factors in how good (or mediocre) this team will be? I think there's probably 15 or 21, but I'll keep mine limited to 3,

    --Can this group coalesce into a cohesive and capable defense?
    --Can Nas be a legit full-time starter at the 3?
    --What will the chemistry between Grant and Nurkic look like?

    What about you all--which of the many current unknowns do you think will have the biggest impact on this team's performance in 22-23? And maybe give your predictions on how they'll shake out.
     
    PtldPlatypus, Sep 28, 2022
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  2. KeepOnRollin

    KeepOnRollin Well-Known Member

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    Does Sharpe get serious playing time and if so is it because he forced his way into the lineup or due to injury (let's hope not the latter)?

    Can the guards (specifically) play at least passible defense?

    Can Nurkic stay healthy (we are in serious trouble if he doesn't, imo)?
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2022
    KeepOnRollin, Sep 28, 2022
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  3. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    The Jerami Grant/Nurk pairing with the starting unit...if this goes like I think we'll be a dangerous team..pick your poison with Dame and Ant spacing the floor...Nurk and Jerami should eat the other teams lunch given the double teams Dame will receive.
     
    riverman, Sep 28, 2022
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  4. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    I feel like health is always a question mark for every team and every season. But sure, I guess that guys like Nurk and Nas (and Winslow, and maybe now Sharpe?) who've got a demonstrated history of health issues get extra consideration in that regard.

    I think I agree with you that Nurk's health is probably the biggest concern. But honestly, say Nurk does go down again. What does that mean for us? A center rotation of Eubanks and Watford, and basically playing small-ball the rest of the season? Might harm our defense a bit, but that might end up being a pretty fun team to watch.
     
    PtldPlatypus, Sep 28, 2022
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  5. e_blazer

    e_blazer Rip City Fan

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    My biggest concern is whether the individual ambitions of the young guys can be reigned in to accept required roles and team cohesion. When you hear Ant wanting to be an All-Star, Naz wanting the starting 3 spot and a bigger piece of the offense, and Sharpe wanting to be ROY, not to mention Hart and Winslow pushing for starting spots, I get a bit concerned. Chauncey has his work cut out for himself.
     
    e_blazer, Sep 28, 2022
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  6. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    I think Chauncey loves that everybody wants to start. This isn't a team of paycheck players....we have some dawgs on this roster. Best thing you can have is a starter looking over his shoulder at the guy who's going to take his job if he gets lazy or selfish
     
    riverman, Sep 28, 2022
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  7. wizenheimer

    wizenheimer Well-Known Member

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    * unknown, but expected: how Dame responds to all that down time and surgery. I'm anticipating he'll be as good as ever, with some 'rough'patches as rust is shaken off

    * unknown: will the Dame/Ant pairing develop better synergy than the remedial 'Dame/CJ-it's-my-turn-it's-your-turn-dribblefest' ever did?

    * unknown: will Portland be getting the good I'm-a-2nd/3rd-option Grant, or the mediocre I'm-a-1st-option Grant?

    * unknown: will Nurkic earn his contract by performance and staying healthy?

    * unknown: who will lock in as the starting SF
     
    wizenheimer, Sep 28, 2022
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  8. SharpeScooterShooter

    SharpeScooterShooter SharpeShooter

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    Six words.

    Shaedon Sharpe
    Anfernee Simons
    Jerami Grant

    Shaedon Sharpe:
    Will he be the next phenom to come directly from highschool? Will he show consistent signs of living up to that label?
    If he works his way into the regular rotation, he was worth the gamble and we should be improved off the bench.
    If he works his way into the starting three spot?
    We won the draft and slam dunked our pick.
    We will be vastly better if he wins a starting spot. Not gifted due to injuries.

    Ant:
    Just got paid. Will he be like Dame and not care and continue to work his ass off? Will he improve defensively?
    I could see him becoming our biggest lethal threat. With Dame being doubled, bigs not able to leave Nurk, he should get alot of kick out open shots and i expect him to be our assassin.
    If he shoots 40%+ from three on 8 or more attempts per game? We are going to be significantly improved.

    Jerami Grant:

    left for last because he, to me, is the biggest question mark. Will he develop a better outside shot? Will he be fine being 3-4 option?
    How will him and Nurk fit together?
    How will Billups use him defensively?
    He could turn out to be our next Evan Turner or our next Buck Williams.
    The pendulum sways far on him to me.
    His fit and usage with the team is likely going to have the biggest impact on how we do.

    if all three items i touched on do well? We could very well be a 2-4 seed without any changes at the deadline.
    If they flop? We could be in the lottery.

    Every year we seem to say this is the year we will figure out our direction, but this year truly feels like it.

    New Gm
    New Coach
    New players

    its show me time!!!

    Go Blazers!!!

    (ps great topic thread!!!)
     
    SharpeScooterShooter, Sep 28, 2022
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  9. THE HCP

    THE HCP NorthEastPortland'sFinest

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    Honest question.... you said "the perceived "treadmill team" ceiling has been removed"
    Curious who removed it? I hope my question doesn't make you think I'm trying to be "superior" to you. I'm honestly curious on WHO said we are no longer a treadmill team? I think most out there (besides this place) are seeing a .500 team at best. Thats about as "treadmill" as you can get in my opinion.
     
    THE HCP, Sep 28, 2022
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  10. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Not at all--that's a good and perfectly valid question. By that I mean to say that the previous iterations of the team were severely limited in terms of potential. We knew that the Dame/CJ pairing was going to make the playoffs every year, but we knew that the pieces we had had little to no chance of elevating the squad. CJ was a limited athlete. The Harkless/Aminu frontcourt would never be better than average. Young players like Swanigan/Layman/Connaughton, etc were never going to be more than journeymen.

    Even if this year's team is only a .500 squad, there are many spots where legit continued development and improvement can be expected next season and beyond, which is not a characteristic of a treadmill team. That is, in fact, the whole point of this thread--the unknowns surrounding this team that could very well doom it to mediocrity, but could also give opportunity for growth beyond.

    So to return the question back to you, I'd ask what aspects of this team's construction would you say prompt you (and apparently everyone else outside this forum) to conclude that it's "a .500 team at best"? Is it just the unproven nature of its various elements, or do you believe that the things we're deeming as uncertain and variable are much more "fixed" than we are willing to admit?
     
    PtldPlatypus, Sep 28, 2022
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  11. wizenheimer

    wizenheimer Well-Known Member

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    there are different types of mediocrity, but the Blazers absolutely needed to move on from a decade of Olshey-vision mediocrity
     
    wizenheimer, Sep 28, 2022
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  12. Mr. Robot

    Mr. Robot Well-Known Member

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    haters just cant accept that nurk all-star level season is pending (this is the first time in his time in rip city that everything seems to be in perfect place)

    im not even trolling
     
    Mr. Robot, Sep 28, 2022
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  13. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Not arguing, but curious as to what it is you think will make the difference for Nurk this year. Is it Grant? Billups? Healthy Dame? What do you mean when you say, "everything seems to be in perfect place"?
     
    PtldPlatypus, Sep 28, 2022
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  14. hoopsjock

    hoopsjock Well-Known Member

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    The biggest question mark to me is still how the big man depth will survive in the non-Nurk minutes or when he has to miss a game(s)? Can Trendon play center in meaningful games or is he more of a PF, which leaves Eubanks as the only backup big?

    Second would be how Sharpe gets minutes and if he does, who is he taking them from? Do they force him minutes to get him reps and speed up his development or does he have to earn them like everyone else?
     
    hoopsjock, Sep 28, 2022
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  15. andalusian

    andalusian Season - Restarted

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    It's good to be optimistic, I guess.
     
    andalusian, Sep 28, 2022
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  16. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Who's more likely to win minutes this season (absent injury):
    • the mysterious all-world-talented #7 pick wing with Dame/Ant/Hart/Nas/Payton all in front of him on the depth chart, or
    • the surprising and heady 2nd-rounder who only has Grant/Watford ahead of him?
    (I'm intentionally omitting Winslow from each list, although he could arguably be on both)
     
    PtldPlatypus, Sep 28, 2022
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  17. Hoopguru

    Hoopguru Well-Known Member

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    We really haven't seen how effective Anf & Dame will be at point of attack on D. Im optimistic it will work out but it will be interesting how those two work out defensively as I think Chauncey will want to put emphasis the back court being tenacious at point of attack.
     
    Hoopguru, Sep 28, 2022
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  18. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    - Is Dame back forreal? Can he sustain his workload?

    - Is Billups capable of being a winning HC? Feel like this is often overlooked. He had a lot of growing pains early on and winning was not a priority later along in the season.

    - Do we have enough depth at the bigman positions to win?

    While it would be nice for Nas to develop into a definitive starter at SF, I don't think it's all that crucial. We have decent depth at the wing positions who can all contribute (Grant/Hart/Shaedon/GP2 etc).
     
    illmatic99, Sep 28, 2022
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  19. hoopsjock

    hoopsjock Well-Known Member

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    After watching all of media day, I don't know how you can omit Winslow.
     
    hoopsjock, Sep 28, 2022
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  20. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Unlike you and Torey, I didn't spend 3 hours watching, pausing, and taking notes on each interview. :)

    I assume there was something said Monday that makes you think he's going to be a significant part of the rotation? Where do you think he most likely figures in?
     
    PtldPlatypus, Sep 28, 2022
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