We have played six games. The team is struggling to find a rhythm. Either they're going to put it together, or they won't, but it has only been six games. Was everyone expecting them to be on the same level as the Spurs? The Warriors? Part of the problem is that I think we have a lot of guys who are feeling the pressure of delivering on their new contracts. Crabbe Harkless Turner Leonard CJ wants to build on his success last year, and he clearly wants to take his game to another level. I just see a lot of young guys that are trying too hard. I'm just hoping that they can find a way to put it together, and I have faith in Dame and Terry to get these guys on the same page.
Terry Stotts recently said we're a work in progress...he says every year that the goal is to be peaking in March, not November....we were 11-20 to start last season....didn't end in disaster...we're 3-3 now
The problem with Turner right now is that we're asking him to be a point guard, and that might be too much to ask right now, but we need to let him get a feel for the offense and get comfortable with our guys. Maybe we should be playing him with Napier and let Napier run the offense. Take away the pressure of running the offense. Neither CJ or ET are having much luck as the point guard.
We totally blew some early games in breathtaking fashion last year. I mean REALLY blew them. But we finished really strong. Sometimes it takes awhile to fine tune and blow out the carbon (to completely mix metaphors). But of course, expectations were lower last year. It will be interesting to see the reactions when we finally start to put it together. I suspect the current bridge jumpers will be some of the first back on the bandwagon. Typical........
Since I was a youngster of 23 when we won a championship, the only season that tested my patience was the lockout season when Nate was fired, Roy retired, Oden crumbled, Felton showed up as a beached whale and Kaleb tried to make Crawford a starting pt guard...but I hung in there...this version of the Blazers is a joy!
When I was a youngster of -7 when the Blazers won the championship, the worst blazers team I have seen has been the ones after Sheed and before Roy. God those teams were awful, but I guess you're right they didn't feel quite as disheartening as the team immediately after the Roy retirement, and the impending Oden retirement team.
I'll be patient because... what the hell else am I going to do? Only game in town and the gray season is long in Portland. I'll also be hopeful, but I can't promise to be confident. The players are likable and they play an entertaining style, but I'm not too confident they got the stuff to win on a big time level. And that's what the plea is for, in staying patient?
I think it will take time until we fine tune the rotations and start clicking. When Stotts finds the best way to maximize the players' abilities we'll be one of the best teams in the league
THIS - I said the same last night in the game thread. At this time ET and CJ together is lookin really bad, perhaps playing Napier some with ET would work better, Napier looked pretty decent last night in limited minutes.
While I was saying in pre-season that Napier reminded me a lot of Crabbe.(always doing something on the court) I believe he's not playing because of defense right now. Watching him on that end get beat by the Mav's guards was..... not pretty. So it might be wise to not have him out there if he's going to get beat that easily. At least until Ezeli is ready to be the rim protector Portland hopes he can be. I won't rush to judge this Portland team before I see 20 games. Right now they don't look organized. Judgement of Stotts will come much sooner than that if I don't see improvement though... Even minimal improvement is acceptable. I don't want Lillard feeling like he needs to score 40 ppg to keep Portland in the game. Will be burnt out by the break if he has to. Stotts do something quick.
I think we have a lot of talented guys, period; and they are not all able to get the amount of touches/shots that would get them into a good rhythm. After the summer signings, I thought this would be the biggest challenge for this team. Seems we really need that consolidation trade.
CJ is struggling running the offense, his scoring is fine. He has 16 assists and 15 turnovers. Turner is struggling in the same area, 13 assists and 15 turnovers. These are the two guys that are supposed to be easing the primary ball-handling load on Dame and they have combined for more turnovers than assists. As I mentioned earlier I thought it was pretty revealing last night that in the 9 minutes that Napier played, the Blazer offense looked better then when either CJ or Turner were running it
