I haven't posted in a couple years, but this seems like a good thread to jump in on. Portland should only be looking to strengthen the bench with grizzled vets that have playoff experience. Deep runs into the playoffs vets. A Kurt Thomas 4/5 that isn't looking to start. Also a guy like Shane Battier that can swing between the 2/3. That is what this team needs. The starting five is golden unless you are offered a sweetheart no brainer deal like the Lakers got when they picked up Pau for a six pack and a pizza (I'm not saying I want Pau), just that type of hiway robbery. Portland should be looking to teams that were considered contenders that are not now. If Chicago blows it up there may be something there. Teams that want to take to get more ping pong balls. We need to use any exceptions, cash and back end bench players we can to get key vets to back our starters and can be ready to step in in case of injury like Juwan Howard did a few years back. That is pretty much all this team needs to be looking to do.
The problem is that we don't have a big contract to move as part of the deal. Our two biggest deals are Aldridge and Batum. Most of our bench guys are making between 1-3 million a year. We'd have to send out a lot of guys to take back one contract. That's why a trade, at this point, would be very difficult to put together and could be very damaging to the chemistry we've built.
I've read a few responses and figured I'd throw my hat in the ring. Asik is a clear upgrade over Lopez in one extremely important area-Pick and Roll defense. Asik is one of if not THE best pick and roll defenders in the league and it is a big reason so many people love him. He is also a tremendous help defender. here's a good article explaining some of his versatility on the defensive end The part I want to highlight from that article is this: Here, Tony Parker is trapped in the corner and Danny Green moves toward him for the escape pass. Tim Duncan sets an off-ball screen while this happens and Asik slides out of the paint and below the free throw line to help: Green has nowhere to drive with Asik in position, so he passes to DeJuan Blair. Asik rotates back to the low post to help Patrick Patterson: Blair passes out to Duncan below the opposite elbow. Jeremy Lin reacts by standing between Duncan and Parker -- this is known as "stunting" -- and is able to get away with it because Asik quickly recovers to Duncan after helping on Blair in the post. Lin switches back to Parker and Asik is back in front of Duncan in time to challenge the shot and force a miss: There are several other examples of his excellent defense in the article, another good one here: One of the biggest drawbacks to Robin Lopez is he can only defend the rim area. If the opponent can draw him away from there it is easy pickings, either they get a basket or we have to foul to stop the layup. Asik would solve this issue, as well as bringing the same strengths as Lopez does while doing them all better.
You are underselling Lopez on offense. I do not think Asik brings all the same stengths while doing them better. Asik is a better defender, but I think Lopez is better on offense.
I guess I did not get my point across, sorry. I don't want Asik. Not for what he will cost in terms of salary and what Houston would want in return for him. They will not send him to a playoff Team in the West unless they are fleecing them. He most likely stays a Rocket just based on his poison pill contract. Portland should only be looking to strengthen their bench as I outlined in the previous post.
But Nate, where is our weakness and where are our strengths? I'd gladly trade marginal offense for better defense. To the people that think Asik is not better than Lopez on Defense, that's laughable. BTW, this is a moot point since Daryl Morey wants a lot in return, I.E. prob CJ, which will/should never happen.
First of all, it's Fropez. After that, he is more of a thread on offense while not being quite a mobile on the perimeter. I'll take that because the Blazer wings are doing a good job of chasing the opponents off the 3-point like to the big Rolo. Last night when the Thunder tried to double off of Fropez onto Aldridge, he made them pay with a massive (for him) 1st quarter. He isn't going to light up the stat sheet but he is doing a lot of little things like boxing out so teammates pick up rebounds or screening off the shotblocker as the guards attack the rim. Neither of those things hits the stat sheets for him but it is very noticeable.
Lopez is absolutely the better offensive player but I think it would be worth the upgrade on defense since Lopez is already the last option on offense as it is. When I said that i was only thinking about defense and should have clarified that.
I don't think I'd say he's the last option. Some nights the Blazers will go to him early to establish the post. He has that nice little hook that doesn't look like it should go in, but does. It's really nice to have the option of using him on offense, ALSO he's a much better free throw shooter than Asik. Last season Asik was abysmal at the line. So much so that you couldn't even have him on the court in a late game situation. 56% from the stripe last season, while Lopez is shooting a very respectable 78% this season.
When you watch the actual game, the value of Lopez is astronomical! Seriously, when he's on the floor, this team just plays better on both ends of the floor. I can't pin point everything, but the game flow seems flawless at times.
I don't want to trade CJ until we know what we've got. Trading him at this point would be rolling the dice in a big way.
As I said; We need to use any exceptions, cash and back end bench players we can to get key vets to back our starters and can be ready to step in in case of injury like Juwan Howard did a few years back. Any player that can not contribute to this team (Crabbe, Claver, Barton) should be throw ins if a team is looking to shed salary. I am looking at vet exception type guys to bring in. I am not married to Freeland and would give up him and even Leonard to strengthen our bench for a grizzled vet that can help now. That is what can push this team into serious contender status, a stronger bench. No doubt our starters can run with any in the league. This season is extraordinarily unique. I would go all in to get that bench shored up. Anybody on the bench and any asset available should be on the table to improve the bench into a championship contending bench. Doing that is the hard part of course, but our GM has pulled off a couple of sweet deals in the off season costing us nothing. Hopefully he can do it before the trade deadline.
And in all honesty, there are plenty of seasoned vets for less than 3 mil. We can use Barton, Claver, hell even Leonard and that's all the money you need.
Fropez makes his teammates, and his team, better. It's not all in his personal stats. If we could get Asik for a song, sure, but we can't, so we wont. No way Olshey busts up the good thing he has going with our starting five. The reserves are all available, or should be, for the right talent upgrade.
It would be a gamble but I'd take the risk, if we wait until we know what we have and it's less than what it is now than we gain nothing. I am fine with the bench as is right now, I feel like CJ could be too much of the same thing when we already have Mo and Dame. The team is really clicking offensively and I don't think adding another volume shooter would be the best thing right now. CJ's summer league performance did not encourage me
Asik is a great team player, but he understands that he is a starter in this league, not a backup. to me it's not that different than when Dre came here and was on the bench and was making noise about wanting to start. Did that make him a bad team guy?
We've already seen the magic Olshey can pull with those second round picks, I'd be more than happy to get some back for next summer
