Game Thread GAME# 70: BLAZERS @ JAZZ - MAY 12, 2021 - WEDNESDAY, 6:30, ESPN & NBCSNW

Damn Lakers survives again

 

the cap and tax levels re-set during the moratorium.

so the calculation will be based on next year's guaranteed salary + cap-holds

Damian Lillard $43,750,000
CJ McCollum $30,864,198
Robert Covington $12,975,471
Jusuf Nurkić $12,000,000
Anfernee Simons $3,938,818
Nassir Little $2,316,240
CJ Elleby $1,517,981
Andrew Nicholson $2,844,429

about 110M

Derrick Jones Jr. $9,731,707

I don't know what Jones will do...he has a player option and he might want to get out of Portland. But, he's not going to make 9.7M anywhere else next season. If he stays, Portland is at 120M and the tax line will be 135-136M

then there are the cap-holds:

Zach Collins 16.2M (Zach's cap-hold alone would put Portland in the tax)
Enes Kanter 6.5M
Carmelo Anthony 1.67M
Harry Giles 1.67M
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson 1.67M

then of course there is Powell. His salary is 11.7M but it's pretty safe to say he'll opt out. If he does opt-out his cap-hold would be 17.5M

so even if Jones walks, the Blazers will be well over the tax line unless they start renouncing the bird rights of Powell, Zach, and Kanter
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another factor is that it looks like Portland will be not only over the tax line, they could easily be over the apron. And, using the full-MLE hard caps a team at the apron. using the tax-MLE doesn't

 

Wes Matthews with a big play the last two nights to keep the Lakers alive.

 

Rockets choked.

 

Olynk blew that game - trying to do way too much down the stretch.

 

two nights in a row wesley matthews screws us over

 

For the Lakers to move up is go 2-0 and Blazers go 0-2. I think the Blazers will go 1-1

 

Which team do you feel confident about beating? The Suns who have a chance because of our win tonight to get HCA throughout the playoffs or the Nuggets I just don't see rolling over?

 

Nuggets might be resting their players once they solidify their seeding

 

That's an awful big might.

 

“Hating” on Carmelo has never made sense. Since day one. He makes peanuts. He’s 36. He’s a walking bucket. If he played great defense he wouldn’t be making no money and playing for Portland.

 

Yes

 

Great analysis!

 

Looks like we’ll clinch 5th on Friday. We just need to win tomorrow and get GTJ to beat Mavs the next night. Then the Denver game is meaningless. Mavs and Lakers battle for 6th.

 

I bet you that doesn't happen.

 

I have to say, I'm more confident about Portland handling Dame traps in the playoffs than I have been in years past. Melo is that other guy besides Nurk who can set a high screen and make the right read on the trap, either kicking it to CJ/Roco/Powell or taking the shot himself. I have not been a fan of him until the last month or so, but what he's doing right now is proving me wrong.

Powell, Nurk and Melo are just a lot of great offensive options to have when the defence commits to getting the ball out of Dame's hands. They can do so many different things with the ball. Drive, pass, post up or shoot.

Massive difference from relying on guys like Aminu, Harkless, Trent, Collins etc in dealing with traps. Those other guys could basically (at best) shoot an open/contested three if available or give it to CJ and let him figure it out.

It's still an iso-heavy offense with lots of one-on-one play, but we've got more one-on-one type of guys now who can do that, especially if the defence is distorted by Dame traps.

 

100% agree, they seem more comfortable dealing with it in the last month. Personally, I thought Dame was one of the problems, as often tried breaking it by dribbling and not utilizing his teammates. We're taught as kids there will always be a man open if you're doubled so find the open man and look for cutters. For whatever reason, Dame is now patiently getting the ball to the high post and guys are cutting to the hoop actually exploiting it. Better late than never, but it's frustrating that largely the same cast of professional players took three years since the NO playoff series to begin showing signs of beating it.

No doubt we're playing much better in the last few weeks, no longer embarrassing ourselves but actually playing closer to our ceiling. I have doubts that ceiling is championship caliber, but at least there's an air of hope now. It's eerily similar to our bubble ascendance last year, and for all the excitement and momentum that generated, it didn't end very well. Is this team different? If we can secure the 5th seed, Denver then Utah are beatable where the talent contrast isn't all that different imo. If we somehow find ourselves in the WCF, at least there wouldn't be a juggernaut like the Klay/Durant Warriors awaiting us.

 

He's become better than I expected. Carmelo has learned to pretend that Portland is New York City.

Melo (sees a 10-story building): Wow, look at that 50-story building!

Melo (sees Canzano): Wow, it's Stephen A. Smith!