https://open.spotify.com/episode/7KbirYaBJ9T35bGfhLPov4?si=Ri1q-iCSQWyfeX8wZ3a03A Some interesting points, some depressing ones.
John is a great guy! All the experts here who think all we've ran in the past is Iso or P&R won't like this video.
Imagine if the Blazers magically landed the #2 pick. Then got suckered into the Ball brothers scam, and passed up drafting Jayson Tatum. ... there would be riots in P-Town
the draft in general is discussed around 34:30 John was asked bout 2017 draft at 41:20 John says pretty much every single person on the staff wanted someone else that would have fit better with the team. He thinks it’s a good sign that they didn’t agree. However, "we all loved Donovan Mitchell." Everyone was doing their best to convince management to draft Donovan Mitchell. Breaking down game film, doing analytics. Doing their own reports. Asking management what they need to do to convince them. Even had Donovan Mitchell in for a workout, which he “crushed.” You can only do so much as a staff. We tried. I’m not trying to throw anyone under the bus. You hit on picks, and you miss on picks. In hindsight, Bam might have been the guy to go with. Gavin O’Leary points out if the Blazers did take Mitchell, they wouldn’t have drafted Simons in the next draft. John agrees that there is a snowball effect. The front office nailed Dame and nailed CJ, but for the Blazers to have taken to the next level they had to nail the 2017 draft. Zach Collins was a miss, and a big miss. John's guess is that management had expected another top 5 pick, to add a 3rd star, after Lamarcus left and the team was blown up, but Dame and CJ and the team were better than expected. (they finished 44-38). John thinks the Blazers were predicted to be 29th or 30th that season. 2017 was the last opportunity to add another star.
he's confusing drafts. Portland was 44-38 in 2015-16. The over/under that season for Portland was 27.5 wins and tied for 28th. And it wasn't just Dame/CJ responsible...it was Aminu-Plumlee-Ed Davis-Harkless providing solid minutes. Crabbe-Meyers-Henderson also contributed. And Portland had no draft pick that season because Olshey had traded it (lottery-protected) & Will Barton for Afflalo and Portland didn't have 2 stars, only 1, so they couldn't add a 3rd. But that was the biggest problem in the Olshey era...his blind faith he had a star in CJ
I assume John was referring to the 2016 draft, the one following the first season without Lamarcus. It was John's guess that management figured the team would finish near the bottom of the standings in 2015-16. As you mentioned, the Blazers 2016 draft pick sent to Denver was lottery protected. They would have kept it if they had finished in 28th place. Besides Dame and CJ, John did also mention Plumlee and Aminu. No matter how good CJ was, nobody would call him a defensive stopper or an ideal fit with Dame. At least Olshey should have seen that much.
yeah...I went and listened to that part of the podcast. His talk about the 2017 draft was a different subject. I got the impression there was a lot of frustration in the headquarters about the top of the food chain being fixated on Zach Collins in the 2017 draft. It did seem like he implied that both Olshey and Cronin were in the Zach camp....ughh
