OFFICIAL AROUND THE NBA: DECEMBER 2024

OKC is sooo good on both offense and defense. They don't have any bad defenders in their rotation. Their defense is super intense and tough to score on even when they go small.

With the boatload of picks they have, that they don't even need right now, they might be a powerhouse for the next decade+

 

This should be our goal.

 

They only tanked for 2 seasons... We've already doubled them

They flipped tons of vets for a lot picks and they didn't waste cap space signing pointless vets, they used cap space to get more picks.

Guys like CP3 they got a pick to bring him in then another pick to trade him out.

The difference is we do things like spend two first round picks on Roco, one on Nance, one on Grant, two on Deni. None of these guys were difference makers nor expected help the Blazers to contend.

 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Jalen Williams
Chet Holmgren

blazers don't have anybody close to those guys

and their next 4:

Isaiah Hartenstein
Luguentz Dort
Isaiah Joe
Aaron Wiggins

Blazers have guys at that level, barely, but the OKC roster makes a lot more sense than Portland's does. And amazingly, I don't see any major issues with OKC's cap over the next 1.7 seasons. They will have to re-sign Jalen Williams and Holmgren in 2026. But they have the escape valve of not picking up the 28.5M option on Hartenstein

 

Finals

 

OKC has a great coach. Instilled defense. Arms always up and always going after the ball. Always. IIRC Dort simply grabbed the ball from POR twice. Just ripped it right out of Ants hands. Taking candy from a baby.

Doesn't hurt that Shai will soon be arguably the best player on the planet.

 

To me its very hard to tell as the rosters are so different in talent. One is a top 3 roster and the other is a bottom 3.

Switch Mark and Chauncey and I'd be very curious to see how each team performs.

Mark has shown to be a very good coach so I do think he is legit. I do question Billups. But until we have a roster that isn't a bottom 10 roster in this league its just very hard to evaluate the coach.

 

They need to pass us in the W column. That’s not good.

 

I'm not saying this isn't a legitimate injury. But we are now approaching nearly 1/3 of the season completed and the lottery picture is forming as well as the early evaluations of 2025 draft talent. So, we're at the point for many teams when a 2-week injury stretches to 5 weeks; and a 5 week injury might be season ending

 

Interesting to see even with the NBA longest losing streak we're still ranked all the way up at #25 in ESPN power rankings this week;

25. Portland Trail Blazers
2024-25 record:
2024-25 record: 8-16​

• Previous ranking: 24
  
  Next games: vs. SA (Dec. 13), @ PHX (Dec. 15)​

Biggest issue: Defensive rebounding
There's no shortage of issues for the Blazers, who rank in the bottom 10 in three of the four factors on offense and defense, but they're dead last in defensive rebounding. Among Portland's primary starters, only center Deandre Ayton is grabbing defensive boards above the league's average rate, and the Blazers sink even lower when Ayton is on the bench. Portland has been rebounding slightly better during its current four-game skid, but there have been few misses to secure. Opponents are shooting a league-high 53% from the field in four losses this month. -- Pelton​

I wonder what the one factor is we aren't in the bottom 10? Teams below us;

26 Hornets
27 Raptors
28 Pelicans
29 Jazz
30 Wizards

 

We NEED that Top 3 pick!

 

Are we honking once or twice?

 

Thrice

 

We had Dort once. He didn’t last past training camp.

I think they chose Keljin Blevins or someone instead.

 

Zero top10 picks among those three.

 

Several weeks for a sprained ankle? Suuuuuuure.