Game Thread GAME# 38: BLAZERS @ KINGS - JANUARY 1, 2019 - TUESDAY, 6:00 PM, NBCSNW

I used to defend Stotts and treat this as an either/or issue. It isn't. Stotts and Olshey have both worn out their welcome. People say you shouldn't make changes just for the sake of change. I disagree. When you have stagnation, a new voice and perspective doesn't need to be perfect to have value. This is a case where moving beyond being first round cannon fodder requires taking a risk.

I'll get off the soapbox now.

 

No, dont put false words into my mouth.....

The playoffs are much different than the regular season. The playoffs are more about game planning and adjustments, and that's where Stotts is heavily lacking.

Stotts would've gotten a ring coaching that Heat team too.

 

People forget what happened on the post-season last year. They cant remember us running pick n roll constantly at half court in game 3 even though it was getting constantly trapped and we were getting killed by it.

It's all "getting better players should neutralize the trap"! Yeah, well so would not setting a ball screen at halfcourt.

 

I actually think those teams would have been more successful under today's rules; especially playing in the finals against Detroit.

 

No worries. I totally understand the sentiment. Also i'm pretty sure his days are numbered. Stotts won't get another contract unless they somehow make the WCF.

 

Ha Ha.... Sure thing.

 

But right here in your post

But then....

So i guess having Lebron, Wade and Bosh with Chalmers, Anderson and Battier with Haslem and Mike Miller shooting threes would mean that Talent makes a difference and only having Dame would be considered tough to win a chip with.

You can't have both sides of the conversation Bones. Either Stotts has the talent to compete or he doesn't? Which one are you going to chose here?

 

Not to be snarky here, but on any team featuring Lebron the "coach" is just a name in the program.

 

Thanks, but I don't smoke them often, and when I do buy cigars that price, I let them rest for at least a year before I smoke them.

I think the most expensive one I have at the moment is a $11 Tatuaje Miami Especiales Lancero. Not sure without looking at my tupperdore though....

Most expensive cigar I ever bought was a $40+ Fuente Fuente OpusX for my father about 8 years ago. Goddamn, that thing was pricey! That's the kind of cigar that you let rest about 3 to 5 years before you smoke it.

 

lol, tobacco doesn't quite work like that, I'm afraid. Large growers will stack their tobacco in 100 lb bundles during the curing process for anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 years.

 

It was the least I've watched a Blazers playoff series in many many years. Zero adjustments we're made and it was simply unbearable.

 

I smoked a hand made Fuente today. But paid less than $3 for it.

I buy my cigars from Holts.com. They private label handmade Fuentes under the label "Holts factory specials". They are as good as any $20 I have ever smoked.

They come in a lot of sizes and wrappers. You need to buy 25-100 to get the good price. They are under $5 per stick.

I buy Gigante Natural 7.5x54, 50 at a time for $139.95 shipped free, and they throw in a free lighter.

The other cigar I like from Holts is going to crack you up. The brand is Herfdog. It comes in 3 sizes, I get the Angry Mutt size which is a churchill. The cost $19.95, for 20 of them, + shipping. Decent smoke with a good burn.

 

Damn, that's a good deal! I just checked Holts out, and they've got great prices.

Problem is, I don't currently have a credit card, so I buy mine with cash at a B&M. Otherwise, I would definitely jump on that.

I'd have to buy a few more containers to keep them in, however, with that amount of cigars, lol. I currently use a 7-liter KlipIt container for the ones that I have, but it wouldn't hold 100 sticks.

Which Fuente did you smoke?

 

That isn't snarky at all. It's the truth. It's the truth because Lebron is the most talented player in the league. When you put a number of other talented players around him the team becomes very very good.
The Blazers lack talent. There is only so much that can be done without it. That is the whole point. Doesn't matter who coaches when you have a bunch of talent because any coach can look good. It's what a coach does when he has very little talent that makes the difference.

It really doesn't matter much though. The Blazers most likely will not give Stotts another contract. Certainly will be looking for a new owner soon enough. Looks to me like we will see a number of changes. I would also assume that would include Olshey. But why pay those two to leave early with the team the way it is right now? Most everyone can see this team will only compete to an extent without a major acquisition. They need a serious threat to score other than Dame or CJ from outside. They don't have that right now.
Second round best for this team this year.

 

Damn Pro Tip right there. Thanks @oldfisherman!

 

Of course talent makes a difference. So does coaching. Elite talent can overcome coaching,
and vise versa.

So yes, if Stotts had elite talent around the best player in the world, he could win a championship. That doesn't mean hes a bad coach or that hes not holding us back.

 

"Obviously more talent helps teams win more games so it cant be coaching. Cant have both". Ok then. Smh...

 

Sure you can. However, this is where the opinions come in. There are a vocal minority on a few boards that follow the Blazers that seem to think Stotts isn't a good coach. And there are a whole bunch of people including the players of the team and other teams, Fans of other teams, Owners of other teams, Coaches of this team and others from every level high school, college and NBA, Ex- players and players that used to play on the Blazers that have been traded, that feel he is not only a good coach but they actually say he is a great coach.

Yes there are a few media types that want to jump on both sides of this equation also. But it isn't many. Most say the problems in Portland are not coaching. The problems stem from lack of talent. Then they usually add that Stotts is doing a tremendous job with the talent he has to work with. He has literally been in the running for COY for 3 of the past 5 years.
Now don't get me wrong here. Stagnation happens, Coaching changes happen, Infusing new blood into a system that isn't growing can have very positive effects. But to trash the man's abilities is wrong. Terry Stotts deserves much more respect than that.

 

Stotts has won 2 playoff series without HCA. That is very difficult to do. How many coaches in the West have done that in the last 5 years? Are there any? Last season was the only time he had HCA and yes, we blew it but otherwise, he’s been great. Yes, we got swept by Warriors but we were 8 seed without Nurkic playing against one of the best teams of all time.