Blazers are now tied for the #8 pick in the Lottery. If Portland were to go on a 15 game winning streak and #7 Memphis were to maintain their current pace, Portland would still be a game back of the #7 seed. A 15 game winning streak and still no higher than 8th. This season is all but over.
Olshey is facing his biggest challenge as a GM right about now.....it's like the worst teams will have to shuffle amongst themselves at the deadline to shed salary or try and shore up gaping holes
I'm all in for tanking... more for having an asset to use in trade. It's not like our players don't have playoff experience. Blazers just need to balance the roster out. The better draft pick the better chance to acquire a game changing player to make this team a real contender.
They certainly need something because for the most part, they aren't even competing against over .500 teams. The Toronto game was great but seem very much like an aberration and we caught them not expecting traps which we hadn't really done all year. Same with San Antonio in the 1st half but then Pops made an adjustment at halftime (note to Stotts), Stotts went small, and the defensive run was over. At one point, Portland had a 40-26 lead. Later in the 4th quarter, SA was up 104-84. That is a 78-44 run in about 2 1/2 quarters of play.....without their best player. We were without our best scorer but if Dame/CJ are both playing, history tells us they would have scored even more.
The Kings just lost to the Grizzlies so Portland is now 2 losses (1 game) out of the #8 Playoff spot but also 3 losses (4.5 games) out of the #1 Lottery pick. Dilemma. Which gives you more hope? A meeting with the Warriors that if healthy, will likely result in a thrashing, or the chance to get a game changer like Jordan, Lebron etc?
Wait now though. I think you are overstating the draft a bit. I have heard many times it is a very good draft, there is no doubt about it, but I have also heard nothing of the sort about the upside being a Lebron or MJ for anyone in this draft. Ive heard Kawhi Leonard of Josh Jackson and that's it. IF there are other players who have this noted upside, Id love to read a link or two and maybe my perspective of this draft will change and if there are several players of that caliber, then we SHOULD be going for the lottery. I dont see it though. Most of the smalls are freshman and I haven't read anything showing those names you indicated as being a potential peak.
Lotto! Lotto! Lotto! Don't tank, but don't run the players into the ground trying to get swept in the 1st round either. Develop Vonleh. Get Jake 10mpg. Trade Ed, Meyers and/or Aminu to a team vying for a 7th/8th seed spot for another pick (SAC? CHI? IND?).
we just gonna all act like he aint got links to hot women on his browser as a shortcut for common regular and consistent use?
Not overstating. I said "the chance to get....". You never know how a player will turn out. Michael Jordan was drafted 3rd because people had no idea he would become as good as he did. Clyde Drexler was #14. But to your point, I would take a Kawhi Leonard type in a heartbeat.
More like a chance to get a player like Andrew Wiggins. Which, right now, looks more like a nice player to have but not a franchise-changer. It all depends on what you mean by "tank." Trade away Lillard? Trade McCollum just for draft picks, not a similar talent? Tell the players to play worse? I've never been a big fan of the traditional concept of tanking--trading away any useful players for draft picks and/or expiring deals. I think you get closer to contention faster by building on what you have than by discarding it all for a "fresh start." If an amazing package of draft picks came along for McCollum, sure, do it. You should always be flexible enough to take advantage of a great opportunity when you can get it. But I wouldn't advocate trading McCollum for draft picks just to do it. I'd prefer to trade him for another young-prime player who may be a bit less good offensively but is much better defensively and work on upgrading the defensive infrastructure around Lillard/New Guy/Harkless. Last year's second half was a glimpse of what the Blazers could be, in my opinion, with more good defenders. What that team fluked their way towards it's worth actually trying to build for real.
I don't like the idea of abject tanking. However, if the starters are producing these results, play 'The Closers' a little more and see what you've got. You can't do much worse and it won't be an obvious tank....just spreading out the minutes. Besides, Dame doesn't need to be leading the league in mpg game especially when we aren't winning.
Gotcha. I took the "chance to get" as in the chance to get one of the top three picks, not a chance they turn into. Got it.
Assuming there isn't some roster saving consolidation trade on the horizon, if they're still mired in .300-.400 ball by the trade deadline, then I wouldn't be opposed to a "reset" of sorts. Not necessarily a "Trading CJ or Damian for prospects or picks" kind of reset, but dump other players for picks or prospects -- guys like Aminu, Harkless, Davis, Plumlee, Nards (whoever) and try to get out of Luxury Tax territory. Some might balk at going young or the spectre of rebuilding and potentially getting stuck in multiple losing seasons, but we might already be staring into that abyss. Whatever happens this team needs an infusion of talent and some kind of shakeup, even if Damian and CJ are the foundation moving forward. Hopefully it doesn't come to that and Neil can pull off (what is typically an unlikely) trade for a star on par with Boogie, Paul George, et al.
The one thing about trading some of our roster for picks and then potentially trading CJ(and one or two fillers) for DMC is it will do three things simultaneously. Balance the roster Something along the lines of: Dame #3 Draft Josh Jackson Harkless or Turner(would need to keep one of the two DMC Plums I think that's a much better balanced starting 5 and we just need fill the bench. I do like the idea of packaging our picks/Crabbe/Davis/Aminu For Noel and a #3 pick. Toss in a combo of Ezeli/Harkless/Plums to make it happen, but not all three(avoid giving up Hark if possible) I think we have the chips enough to make a trade like that without involving CJ Then use CJ and whatever else it might take to get DMC IF he agrees to resign. That would be Dame Jackson Harkless DMC Noel Fill in the bench any way you can because that starting five will compete with almost any team in the league. But as long as DMC agrees to a resign, then we are mostly locked in. Dame/$25 mil? Jackson/Rookie Contract Harkless/$10mil DMC/$27-28mil? Noel/resign at $12mil? So that's about $85-$90 mill. That will leave $15-20 mill to fill in the bench. IS this even remotely close to being able to happen?
We're not getting Boogie without giving up at minimum CJ and even that is unlikely. He's better than Damian on the court. Sac isn't giving him up cheaply and certainly not when they are in the playoff hunt. So no, not likely and probably impossible.
I gave up CJ and a filler or whatever else it would take for DMC. Did you not read my post? Though I hit send without finishing. So it balances the roster, It gets us back under the cap so we have money to play with and it keeps us a player in the west without bottom dwelling for a few years. Basically I am saying we are giving up CJ and the bulk of our roster and our picks (we need to keep one of Hark or Turner, prefer Hark for more upside and less money) for DMC/Noel/#3 pick. So... Plumlee/Turner/Crabbe/Aminu/Davis/Ezeli/2-1st rd draft picks and CJ for DMC/Noel/#3pick. Is that not even remotely possible?
