Comparing the Western Conference finals team to the current group

[Charcoal Filtered]

CJ and Dame are still here.

Our center, who was basically only Kanter, is now Kanter and Nurkic.

PF goes from Amina and a younger Collins to an older Collins, Jones, and sometimes Covington.

SF goes from Harkness and Turner to Covington, Jones, Trent, and Little.

Hood returns, this time with more games with the team. Hopefully with his health.

Curry and Leonard are replaced with Melo.

Still would like to see a backup PG as Simons has to step up but we have clearly made improvements.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

The exciting thing to me is that we're deeper, i.e. more injury resistant.

 

[calvin natt]

 

[Hoopguru]

View attachment 35133

Wow..much respect from experts!

 

[tykendo]

Neil Haters, EAT IT!!

 

[illmatic99]

Depends on health and Terry's ability to handle this depth to maximize talents. Think we might get HCA in the West, and a tosssup in the playoffs depending on matchups. Much like two years ago.

Need some time to evaluate our chances this year in the playoffs.

I'd say break it down like this:
Tier 1:
LAL
LAC

Tier 2:
DEN
POR
GSW
DAL

Tier 3:
PHX
UTA
MEM

 

[MickZagger]

Depends on health and Terry's ability to handle this depth to maximize talents. Think we might get HCA in the West, and a tosssup in the playoffs depending on matchups. Much like two years ago.

Need some time to evaluate our chances this year in the playoffs.

I'd say break it down like this:
Tier 1:
LAL
LAC

Tier 2:
DEN
POR
GSW
DAL

Tier 3:
PHX
UTA
MEM

I don’t think Clippers should be considered a tier 1 team anymore.

The loss of Harrell and Shamet hurts them.

 

[illmatic99]

I don’t think Clippers should be considered a tier 1 team anymore.

The loss of Harrell and Shamet hurts them.

Maybe you're right on that one. Thought they'd get Tristan as was rumored yesterday, but he's going to Boston.

 

[wizenheimer]

Depends on health and Terry's ability to handle this depth to maximize talents. Think we might get HCA in the West, and a tosssup in the playoffs depending on matchups. Much like two years ago.

Need some time to evaluate our chances this year in the playoffs.

I'd say break it down like this:
Tier 1:
LAL
LAC

Tier 2:
DEN
POR
GSW
DAL

Tier 3:
PHX
UTA
MEM

I think there is only one team in tier 1....and it sucks

I also think you have Utah too low

 

[blazerkor]

Neil Haters, EAT IT!!

We do have one glaring hole that Neil will not address. I don't hate Neil for it... I just hate the situation. CJ is still going to be a sieve on defense and that's just unacceptable from a guy you play 30+ minutes a game and pay 30+ million a year. Dame is the type of defender that actually needs a great defender next to him for the team to be a really good defensive team. Also CJ better change his offensive game completely, the days of him stalling the ball with his one on five bullshit need to go away. When he's backing up Dame at PG or he's bringing up the ball for his own offensive sets then he can pound the rock a bit but even then and always otherwise he needs to make much quicker decisions.

Yeah Olshey did great at putting a fantastic team around a terminally flawed back court. For the record Dame is my favorite player of all time and I think CJ is just under all star level... they're just horrible together and it's Olshey's job to see that and change it. So you can be a brilliant GM on 94% of your personnel decisions but if one player you acquire or keep is capable of handicapping the team to the point of taking them out of contention, you didn't do your job.

 

[TBpup]

We do have one glaring hole that Neil will not address. I don't hate Neil for it... I just hate the situation. CJ is still going to be a sieve on defense and that's just unacceptable from a guy you play 30+ minutes a game and pay 30+ million a year. Dame is the type of defender that actually needs a great defender next to him for the team to be a really good defensive team. Also CJ better change his offensive game completely, the days of him stalling the ball with his one on five bullshit need to go away. When he's backing up Dame at PG or he's bringing up the ball for his own offensive sets then he can pound the rock a bit but even then and always otherwise he needs to make much quicker decisions.

Yeah Olshey did great at putting a fantastic team around a terminally flawed back court. For the record Dame is my favorite player of all time and I think CJ is just under all star level... they're just horrible together and it's Olshey's job to see that and change it. So you can be a brilliant GM on 94% of your personnel decisions but if one player you acquire or keep is capable of handicapping the team to the point of taking them out of contention, you didn't do your job.

So.....a really architectually stunning building.....with a partially cracked foundation?

 

[illmatic99]

I think there is only one team in tier 1....and it sucks

I also think you have Utah too low

How did Utah improve?

 

[wizenheimer]

How did Utah improve?

they brought back Favors, and Utah always plays stout defense

 

[B-Roy]

They also get Bogdonavic back.

 

[illmatic99]

They also get Bogdonavic back.

Wasn't he already there?

they brought back Favors, and Utah always plays stout defense

And they lost Ed. meh. Not swayed that they can battle for HCA unless Mitchell takes another leap.

 

[Chris Craig]

Depends on health and Terry's ability to handle this depth to maximize talents. Think we might get HCA in the West, and a tosssup in the playoffs depending on matchups. Much like two years ago.

Need some time to evaluate our chances this year in the playoffs.

I'd say break it down like this:
Tier 1:
LAL
LAC

Tier 2:
DEN
POR
GSW
DAL

Tier 3:
PHX
UTA
MEM

More like

Tier 1:
LAL

Tier 2:
DEN
POR
LAC
DAL
PHX

Tier 3:
GSW - without thompson
UTA
MEM

 

[B-Roy]

Wasn't he already there?


And they lost Ed. meh. Not swayed that they can battle for HCA unless Mitchell takes another leap.

not for the bubble

 

[Mediocre Man]

Neil Haters, EAT IT!!

Back up pg?
Some who can defend stretch bigs?

glaring holes still

 

[kjironman1]

View attachment 35133

We sure do have some resident experts that see it differently though.
I think the moves were good and the depth alone will help a bunch. Hell even signing Melo on a Vet Min was a good move.

 

[kjironman1]

Back up pg?
Some who can defend stretch bigs?

glaring holes still

That is hole... One hole and it isn't really a hole if 1M has improved at all.

 

[Mediocre Man]

That is hole... One hole and it isn't really a hole if 1M has improved at all.

He’s not a pg

 

[kjironman1]

He’s not a pg

He sure plays the position?
I mean what are the parameters of being a PG?
I think it’s plays point guard. That is what makes you a point guard right?

 

[blazerkor]

He sure plays the position?
I mean what are the parameters of being a PG?
I think it’s plays point guard. That is what makes you a point guard right?

The fact is when he is playing the point, he is more effective because when he brings the ball up the floor and is charged with piloting the offense, he can take that time he loves to take pounding the rock before making a decision. He is also better suited to guard smaller guards even though he's still catastrophically terrible at it. If CJ ever plays for another team he will probably play at the 1 but have a point forward as the facilitator but the 1 is where CJ is a natural fit... yes he is a scoring point guard but he's still a point guard.

 

[wizenheimer]

The fact is when he is playing the point, he is more effective because when he brings the ball up the floor and is charged with piloting the offense, he can take that time he loves to take pounding the rock before making a decision. He is also better suited to guard smaller guards even though he's still catastrophically terrible at it. If CJ ever plays for another team he will probably play at the 1 but have a point forward as the facilitator but the 1 is where CJ is a natural fit... yes he is a scoring point guard but he's still a point guard.

there's that old saying: you are what you can defend....which means CJ is an announcer

 

[Buffalo Custard]

The fact is when he is playing the point, he is more effective because when he brings the ball up the floor and is charged with piloting the offense, he can take that time he loves to take pounding the rock before making a decision. He is also better suited to guard smaller guards even though he's still catastrophically terrible at it. If CJ ever plays for another team he will probably play at the 1 but have a point forward as the facilitator but the 1 is where CJ is a natural fit... yes he is a scoring point guard but he's still a point guard.

Yes, CJ is a PG - in the same sense that Damon was a PG. Damon's ball stopping, pound all the air out of the ball nonsense drove me crazy!

 

[SharpesTriumph]

He sure plays the position?
I mean what are the parameters of being a PG?
I think it’s plays point guard. That is what makes you a point guard right?

Yes.

Its crazy some fans are so delusional they think a player who plays a position isn't a player who plays that position?

Same people who say a professional is more than getting paid to do something.

They have some alternative definition of reality.

 

[wizenheimer]

there's a difference, IMO, between playing a position and have the traditional skills of that position

CJ does not have the reactions, vision, or mindset of a traditional PG; and he pounds the ball way too much to consistently run an offense like a PG. But by default, he's a PG when there is nobody else on the floor who remotely resembles a PG, and when his defensive assignment is the opposing PG

real PG skills have been a scarcity on the Blazer roster since 2015. I don't think it's an accident, rather it's by design. If Portland had a backup PG on the level of a Rondo or a George Hill, Stotts would use him all the time and that would significantly reduce CJ's opportunity for lots of minutes

 

[kjironman1]

there's a difference, IMO, between playing a position and have the traditional skills of that position

CJ does not have the reactions, vision, or mindset of a traditional PG; and he pounds the ball way too much to consistently run an offense like a PG. But by default, he's a PG when there is nobody else on the floor who remotely resembles a PG, and when his defensive assignment is the opposing PG

real PG skills have been a scarcity on the Blazer roster since 2015. I don't think it's an accident, rather it's by design. If Portland had a backup PG on the level of a Rondo or a George Hill, Stotts would use him all the time and that would significantly reduce CJ's opportunity for lots of minutes

Cj plays Shooting Guard. Damian Lillard is out Point Guard.

 

[TBpup]

Cj plays Shooting Guard. Damian Lillard is out Point Guard.

Yes but Olshey was quick to point out that Dame and CJ played 95% of the posessions at PG last year. Take out garbage time, that that is just about all of them.

 

[e_blazer]

there's a difference, IMO, between playing a position and have the traditional skills of that position

CJ does not have the reactions, vision, or mindset of a traditional PG; and he pounds the ball way too much to consistently run an offense like a PG. But by default, he's a PG when there is nobody else on the floor who remotely resembles a PG, and when his defensive assignment is the opposing PG

real PG skills have been a scarcity on the Blazer roster since 2015. I don't think it's an accident, rather it's by design. If Portland had a backup PG on the level of a Rondo or a George Hill, Stotts would use him all the time and that would significantly reduce CJ's opportunity for lots of minutes

I think the traditional view of what makes a good PG is changing around the league. The Lakers just let Rondo, a traditional PG in my view, walk and traded for Dennis Shroeder, a more offensively oriented guard. Most of the top PGs are big scorers these days. With CJ, when he plays PG in previous seasons it's usually been in a role with a second unit where he is by far the best scoring option out there. His "problem" is that with Dame out, he takes it on himself to get his own shot by dribbling to try to break his man down until he can get his shot off. I agree that that often causes the offense to stagnate and too often to have to settle for a poor shot. My hope, and at this point that's all it is, is that now that he's going to have more scorers available on the second unit he won't hold onto the ball so much. If he does, Stotts should address the matter. I guess all of that is to say that I don't think there's a skill problem with CJ at the point, but his mindset has to be changed when he's in that role.