It's just ridiculous that Neil sold Aminu as a stopgap, and we still haven't upgraded from him. How has it been four years since Aldridge left and the only big salary replacement on the roster is Evan freaking Turner?
I really wonder what would have happened if the Nets hadn't been stupid enough to trade for Crabbe. Maybe Olshey would have been fired so some good would have come from it
"What are you talking about? Aminu and Turner are amazing players that deserve max contracts for all their contributions. They will be Blazers for the rest of their career." -Neil Olshey
What are the column headings? I can't make head or tail of it. The context was the last 5 years of ESPN adjusted +/-. Nice touch in the last line's font.
Did you guys know Aminu is 4th on the team in TS% at 58.1%? Right behind Dame and ahead of guys like Nurk and CJ. Yeah his usage is really limited, but it's always been limited and he has never cracked 53% before. He's quietly putting up his best season.
Yes and that’s not a fluke that his TS% is up so much from prior years. Look at his shot selection. He’s taking way more from 0-3 ft and getting fouled a lot as a result. Anyone who puts Aminu and Turner in the same category is clueless. He’s easily our third best player. He’s the kind of player that gets more and more valuable as your team gets better as he doesn’t need the bell to be good.
I like Chief a lot, but I've got to disagree with people who put him about CJ or high above Evan Turner. Aminu's a very solid all-around player, but I think the three most valuable skills in pro basketball are shot creation/scoring, ballhandling. and rim protection. He's below average on the first two and average at best at the third. CJ has a rare skill in his ability to create GOOD scoring opportunities for himself. I think he's a better all-around player than he gets credit for, but his ability to create space and get good looks is probably the single most-desired and rarest trait for a pro basketball player. Evan has a niche on this team. Other than Dame, there really isn't someone who can facilitate offense above average the way Turner can. CJ and Curry really are 2 guards at worst and combos better suited to score at best. Turner has a defined role as a gack-up PG. He also can guard bigger guards and he can score inside; we don't have another perimeter player who offers that. He's also tough-minded and kind of a quirky fit who I think adds chemistry in a lot of ways. I think most good teams in the NBA would like to have him or a player like him, just not at what Olshey paid to get him. We have problems with CJ and Evan's salaries and get more focused on who they aren't rather than what they are. They are good, valuable pieces to a contending team. Look on most of the other good teams in this league and you will find an Aminu. If Jae Crowder was playing for us instead of Chief, would we notice much of a difference? What about OG from Toronto? That said, I am happy with Aminu, but I also recognize that's probably the position that we could most easily upgrade.
This may be true for some players in the league, but Aminu is not the type that seems to play for Money. He does a ton of charity work for his country and I think gives 100% effort all the time. I dont think he has that type of mindset.
I agree. What sets Aminu apart from someone like Harkless (or Batum) is his motor. There are plenty of guys who *at their best* are better than Aminu - but you don't see their best on any kind of regular basis. Even when Aminu is struggling, the problem is never lack of effort.
He might not be playing for money but he still playing for a contract. The money part is what a team willing to pay for that contract.
Chief won’t be here next year, I honestly think another summer of hitting the gym and working on his post up game and Zach starts next year. I fully expect a Nurk/Zach/Layman starting frontcourt next season.