Currently the Blazers are on the low end of mediocrity. Neil’s goal is to be on the high-end of mediocrity.
Just one of the many reasons Neil should have been/should be fired. And the funny thing is that so many people on this board were unhappy with that move. It was such a stupid decision, even at that time. Why the hell would you trade our three picks for a freaking project big man when we CLEARLY needed to add a veteran to help Dame?
Our summer is becoming eerily similar to the Rockets' offseason 9 months ago. Let's hope like hell that it ends differently.
dame 6'2" cj 6'3" powell 6'3" close to clones of each other and all seem to excel when at least 1 of the other 2 isnt on the court and only 1 of them is decent defensively. its too samesy across the PG-SG-SF lineup, we need some skill variations that complement n round out the line up, not double n triple up pluses and double or triple down on the deficiencies the sum of these parts is less than the whole. CJ needs to go, powell to SG, and a long 2-way SF please. how/who? fuck knows.
Its Neil’s fault Zach got injured? btw Zach is the prototype of the modern big and made our team better when he was healthy. Injuries suck, but to blame the GM for them is comical, especially when he wasn’t a guy that had an injury history coming into the league. Oh and the two guys he traded for him haven’t shown to be NBA caliber players. And he’s not gone yet either. As Hollinger mentioned, signing a one year deal and retaining full bird rights is probably his best option. Either way, he’s still only 23. Premature to conclude what he is or isnt.
It's Neil's fault that he drafted a 19 year old big man who wasn't even starting on his team when we CLEARLY needed veteran help. What's comical is drafting a big man and not expecting them to get hurt after all the years following this team. Also, who cares how the other players drafted panned out? That wasn't my argument in the first place. I wanted a veteran.
The offseason that hasnt even started yet? btw the rockets traded for the guy Harden wanted to play with. How’d that work out?
1. Top priority — keep Powell. A 3-level, efficient scorer who plays D cannot walk out the door without someone getting fired. Losing DJJ’s contract filler and how he may improve would be a loss, too. Powell makes CJ tradable and DJJ helps make trades. 2. Trade CJ — which should be done FIRST to help with priority 1. Best deal. It’s hard to get a rookie ready to play, but a high enough lottery pick with role players for filler is fine. Simmons will cost CJ plus pick(s) plus Simons or … AND so what? Get the best player who fits. It’s someone who guards forwards. 3. Some IF’s here, admittedly, but IF 2 doesn’t happen, expect the D remains not enough to compete; and IF 2 helps 1 not to happen, THEN Lillard will be gone in a year. 4. CJ to the bench for a 3-guard rotation with Lillard and Norm? Trade Simons … Nurkic … future picks … but I’m not buying that happens. Forward defense needs help and the back court makes D harder for everyone. 5. Nurkic for a more D oriented, rim protector center like Myles Turner (who has no problem putting up 3’s). Do it. IF 1 and 2 don’t happen, do the math.
??? Neil didn't draft Giles and Jackson, Sacramento chose those picks. We had 3 picks in that draft: 15, 20 and 26. 15 and 20 turned into 10. Between 10 and 15 we could have drafted Mitchell or Adebayo. Whatever, I will excuse that. But between 15 and 60 we could have drafted: John Collins OG Anunoby Jarrett Allen Kyle Kuzma Derrick White Josh Hart Dillon Brooks Monte Morris 3 picks in arguably one of the deepest drafts of the last decade. Missing one pick is fine. Even missing two is fine. But to come out with NOTHING? That's a massive failure on the talent evaluation front and I don't see how anyone can argue otherwise. PS. Zach wasn't lighting the world on fire even when he was healthy.
If Lillard returns from Japan with Norm on another team and not one other starting position upgraded, I would be shocked if he was here to start the season. He said he didn't know what he wanted for his future or if he was still committed, just that he wanted the team to make it so he could know those things. The thing about him saying he does see himself in a Blazers uniform next season has to come in the context of the other things he said. He believes that Neil will hear him and therefore he'll be here. If Neil does nothing and actually lets this team get worse, Dame will ask out. So if 1 and 2 are both failures, Dame will demand a trade because if Olshey's excuse right now is that we don't have enough to get him the second star he needs... how the fuck do we get better after we lose another asset if Powell walks. There would be no point in waiting for the trade deadline, what would be different? He said plain and simple that even if Chauncey is the best coach ever he doesn't think this group (that's including Norm) is getting it done. Lastly I just want to remind anyone who keeps saying the word wait, like wait until we see what we have and wait until the trade deadline. Dame's message was that we don't have what it takes and he's done waiting.
lolol I would take a healthy Collins over at least five of those guys. Injuries happen. The evaluation on the player was fine. A rim protector that could switch on the perimeter and space the court is a valued commodity. Shit, we’re begging for one of those guys now.
Well, we could have had Collins + someone on the latter 5, if you love Collins so much. Anunoby is the one that got away. A ton of people here wanted him, and he kept falling because of injury/project concerns, but then they took an project anyways. Ugh.
Agreed. This point doesn't get enough attention. Rebounding is one (if not the) most important aspect of having a good defense. We saw the exact same story in the NBA finals too. In 3 games where rebounding was close, the Suns went 2-1. The other 3 games, the Bucks dominated the boards & won all 3 games.
“This isn’t a championship roster” was Dame’s main point. And Neil plans to tinker around with minor upgrades. Again.
Is he? Atlanta went from shitty defense to 5th with a different defensive scheme and the same starters a few years ago. 35 wins to 60 wins They’ll play better defense, just not elite…..unless CJ gets traded for Simmons I love the idea of flipping CJ to NO for a pick and player and then moving the pick to someone
nope....I have been assuming Olshey will want to rinse/repeat his same old off-season routine if Seattle give him a pass to do so, and I expect they have. Powell is a real big pivot point. If he signs with another team, there's no cover for Neil
Dame’s biggest complaint seems to be urgency. Maybe changing guys out on the bench for guys who are hungry and will do anything to win is enough for the start of the process?
He's hoping for best case scenario regarding offense, and assuming it was worst case scenario on defense.
