In honor of Stren and how he stuck to what he believed, I am throwing this out there. Say what you will, could have, or couldn't have won with LMA.... he is gone. I personally thought we might have had a chance this year, if he allowed us to hunt the market together to find the third star, but that's over. Damian is a winner. He is not going to tank a season. Neil has (quietly, though fighting through a massive shit storm of PR crazyness) quickly put together a very promising, young and athletic group, that has a couple gaps to fill with the money left from LMA. Some people are thinking the new guys we acquired are trade bait, but I disagree with exception of Henderson. Henderson may be used in tandem with Kaman to acquire one more decent piece. DO NOT EXPECT THIS PIECE TO BE AN ALL STAR!!!! We all know we cant sign free agents, so there is really no point (especially with none of the big names fitting this new mold) in wasting time tossing an offer sheet in the face of names like Gasol and LBJ. We would be best going after a couple more younger, potential role players, that are still available. Sign them to short 2 year deals. Let this team compete from within as well as in the NBA. Let Stotts mix and match and find the 5 that play the best together. Then at the trade deadline, deal the ones that haven't fit in and play the trade game. The team as it stands will be able to run with anyone and lock down on most teams inside and out. Much more P&R ability as well and aley oops and in the paint scoring with perimeter defense. If there is one thing I still have 100% trust in Olshey, it's his eye for potential talent and his ability to not overpay and sign bad contracts. Every offer that has been accepted so far has been a good contract. I have faith he will continue to do so, because he really has no other choice. PA wont overpay AND lose. Yes, Olshey played us, played the media, but mostly played the other teams as well. He couldn't play the other teams if he didn't also play the media nad us. In my opinion he did the best thing he could do under the circumstances. If you add all these factors in, I see us coming up on.500 ball by the all star break and improving over the second half of the year. Neil has now shown his full deck. Some people are asking s where to from here. You don't see it? He has a 5 year plan and has his #1. From what I see so far, he has done everything right to kick this 5 year plan off in a positive, winning direction. If I have to eat crow, I certainly will, but I wont have to. I believe!
I think it's going to be hard to win 30 games. Only two players on the roster can create their own shot. Not a single frontcourt player can do that. Vonleh has a chance but he's still a few years away.
You dont see more opportunity for better P&R and lobbing over double teams now? I do. This team still has the outside threat with CJ, Leonard, Crabbe, Wright, and Dame. Dame and CJ can get around most one on ones and force a double team if they dont like what they see from the three. I see alot of 3 pt spotting, fake and drive to get the double team and dishing ff to our centers fr quick dunks and layups from Davis and Plumlee. If we instill a good team defensive strategy, I see this team being top half of the league in defense. We will also get alot of breakout buckets on the run. More athletic and better spacing on the floor can be taught. The ideal in all honesty, is to go about .500 while excelling the second half as players start to blossom, not make the playoffs and retain our pick, then fill in the pieces to make a contender for the next five years. I really think this has been Olshey's plan all along as plan B if LMA left.
I hope we don't. The current plan needs to be to play young guys, get a lotto pick, and hopefully sign someone good next summer with our cap space.
Unless lightning strikes, the blazers will be getting a top 5ish pick. I'm cool with that. If this team, as is, wins 41 games? That means 3 or 4 youngins stepped up big time. Like MIP. I'm cool with that too.
Teams will take that shit away faster than you can blink. We have zero spacing, because we lack shooting, which means teams will be able to mostly just sit back and clog the lane, which removes the P&R threat, also I think you can expect teams to blitz the hell out of Lillard any time he touches the ball with double and triple teams to keep him off balance. So if you want a prediction, I've got one. Lillard's shooting percentages are going to suffer and he's going to probably have to take 5 more shots per game, a lot of those are going to be completely contested. Additionally this team will be lucky to win 20 games.
Put your money where your mouth is. Clear out your life savings, get a new mortgage, max out cash advances, head to Vegas and bet it all on the Blazers. I'm sure the over/under will be far fewer than 42 wins.
There are players that want to come here. If Dame continues to climb the ladder, people will want to play with him. Who the fuck would have wanted to play in Cleveland before LeBron got there?
Only if thier first second and third options don't pan out. Didn't LMA just have this opportunity and turned it down? Didn't Monroe have an opportunity of being part of a big three and he turned that down? No matter how good Lillard gets, I don't see another All Star wanting to come here unless what he have blossoms and a Second star is found. The only way a star signs to Portland, is if they truly believe they are the FINAL piece in the puzzle.
So you don't consider Legend standing out at the 3-point line (unguarded, because the PF or C guarding him won't travel out that far) creating his own shot?? Fair enough, I suppose.
I think Stren has already been round and round on.. if your life is on the line... bit, so I wont rehash why I also wont mortgage either one of my houses, let alone take my savings out on a bet. With that said, I am down for small wagers to vets of the board that I know wont be gone in a few months. Name the wager....
Orion, I invite you to the last game of the Blazer season to sit with me in MGB's seats. If they finish .500, it is on me. If not, you pay for both tickets at market rate.
With what we paid and with the other guys we brought in at PF/C, if he isn't the primary starter at SF, I'd be a bit concerned about where we are headed. But yeah, I can see him at PF at times when we're going a little smaller.
