Ric Bucher Likes OKC Over Blazers In A Few Years

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by ABM, Apr 3, 2009.

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  1. BrianFromWA

    BrianFromWA Editor in Chief Staff Member Editor in Chief

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    To be completely fair, our season had a year of LMA's growth while the Sonics basically gave away rashard Lewis for nothing. Lewis is pretty good, also.
     
    BrianFromWA, Apr 4, 2009
    #281
  2. Ed O

    Ed O Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    I said that they would have been better if they had kept Zach. I still believe that.

    They also would have been better if Oden had not been hurt.

    The funny thing is that if the team WOULD have been better if either of those things had happened, you'd be using it as evidence of how great Roy is.

    Allen (21.6 PER his last year as a Sonic) was a borderline all-star when he was traded. Rashard (20.7 his last year as a Sonic) is a borderline all-star now. Taking a HUGE step back by losing two of those guys, and having to make up for a series of wasted draft picks (Swift, Sene, Petro) takes time.

    Jeff Green is still only 22. Durant is still only 20.

    Compare that to Roy (24) and Aldridge (23)... the Thunder's core is simply younger than the Blazers.

    Ed O.
     
    Ed O, Apr 4, 2009
    #282
  3. Wheels

    Wheels Is That A Challenge?!?!1! Staff Member Global Moderator

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    Maybe so.. but Green while a nice player IMO will never be at the level the other 3 players are. Jeff Green's ceiling is much much much lower.
     
    Wheels, Apr 4, 2009
    #283
  4. Ed O

    Ed O Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Come on.

    The team started 3-29.

    They've gone 19-25 since.

    You don't think that's showing marked improvement? Really?

    Ed O.
     
    Ed O, Apr 4, 2009
    #284
  5. Ed O

    Ed O Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Fair enough.

    Is that Durant's fault? I would say no... which is yet another demonstration that team success when judging a player's efficacy is a secondary (at best) consideration to me.

    Ed O.
     
    Ed O, Apr 4, 2009
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  6. Wheels

    Wheels Is That A Challenge?!?!1! Staff Member Global Moderator

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    I'll agree to that. I'm sorry I'll admit I didnt read the whole thread.. but to me my response about their core was more about their future being brighter. They are still some missing pieces away IMO.. but have some nice pieces.. and while I still believe Oden will have been the better pick for us, its not a knock on Durant.. like KP said before the draft.. "Is there a way we can get both of them?"
     
    Wheels, Apr 4, 2009
    #286
  7. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    But the Blazers core is simply better.

    BNM
     
    Boob-No-More, Apr 4, 2009
    #287
  8. alex42083

    alex42083 Thanks Brandon

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    edit: oops, nevermind. Already been posted.
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2009
    alex42083, Apr 4, 2009
    #288
  9. Ed O

    Ed O Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Heh.

    Yes, to get back to the original topic: I would never trade our core/future for the Thunder's. Even if I think that Durant has a better chance of being a superstar than Roy, I don't think he has a better chance of being an all-star... Roy already is, after all.

    And I also still support the selection of Oden over Durant. Going over those reasons here (again) would be boring because almost everyone probably already agrees with them :)

    Ed O.
     
    Ed O, Apr 4, 2009
    #289
  10. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    Not compared to the previous season, no. They added a top 4 pick, lost no one of any significance, Durant and Green are both a year more experienced and a year "better", yet they'll only win 3 or 4 more games. I stand by my statement that going from 21 wins to 24 or 25 is not difficult to accomplish and is not showing marked improvement.

    BNM
     
    Boob-No-More, Apr 4, 2009
    #290
  11. Ed O

    Ed O Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Agreed 100%.

    Ed O.
     
    Ed O, Apr 4, 2009
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  12. Ed O

    Ed O Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    I didn't say anything about seasons when I used the phrase "marked improvement", iirc. You're adding parameters that I did not after attacking my position.

    They've won 19 of their last 55 games.

    That's only one fewer than as they won in 82 games last year.

    I think it would be hard to deny that they've markedly improved from where they were last year.

    Ed O.
     
    Ed O, Apr 4, 2009
    #292
  13. Minstrel

    Minstrel Top Of The Pops Global Moderator

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    Carlisimo was pretty clearly mismanaging the team, considering how the team took off after he was fired. One of the big mistakes he made was playing Durant out of position. Durant has flourished since being moved back to his natural small forward position.
     
    Minstrel, Apr 4, 2009
    #293
  14. Wheels

    Wheels Is That A Challenge?!?!1! Staff Member Global Moderator

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    I would agree they have improved.. but alot of it to me is coaching. if Carlesimo (sp?) was still the coach they would be maybe at a 20 win clip all year. But they havent improved enough to scare me at all.
     
    Wheels, Apr 4, 2009
    #294
  15. Wheels

    Wheels Is That A Challenge?!?!1! Staff Member Global Moderator

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    yep beat me too it. but my thoughts exactly. :cheers:
     
    Wheels, Apr 4, 2009
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  16. Boob-No-More

    Boob-No-More Why you no hire big man coach?

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    Weren't you the guy that was arguing that one season was too small of a sample size? Now your arguing about partial seasons?

    Winning 4 or 5 more games, when your baseline is 21 wins, is not significant season over season improvement. So, they started off crappy. We don't just get to ignore those losses like they didn't happen. They all count. Net sum, they aren't all that much better this season than they were last.

    Going from 21 wins to 25 is like weighing 400 lbs. and losing 20 lbs. Good for you. You're headed in the right direction, but you still have a LONG way to go.

    BNM
     
    Boob-No-More, Apr 4, 2009
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  17. Wheels

    Wheels Is That A Challenge?!?!1! Staff Member Global Moderator

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    I look at it this way.. when Portland had 21 wins and went to 32... 32 wins is still no big whoop.. but it was SUPER obvious that they were a much MUCH improved team. Even though the win total wouldnt necessarily show that.
     
    Wheels, Apr 4, 2009
    #297
  18. alex42083

    alex42083 Thanks Brandon

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    OKC is definitely improved but they're still going to be a 25-30 win scrub team next season. Their development curve will be a lot longer than ours when we went from 32 to 41 to now reaching 50. There's no way in three years that they'll be better than us.

    Their problem is they don't play any defense. Durant is a great offensive player but he can't play D. I think Jeff Green is outsized and outmatched for a starting PF in this league. I like Westbrook though. He's got good size for the PG spot.

    The rest of the team is replaceable. Although the roster is made up of names you've heard of, they're just not very good.
     
    alex42083, Apr 4, 2009
    #298
  19. oldmangrouch

    oldmangrouch persona non grata

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    You know, some folks here have a serious bias against good players on bad teams.

    No one with 2 marbles to rub together would say that Oden was 100% responsible for Portland's improvement.....but people will turn right around and give Durant 100% of the blame for everything wrong in OKC. Sorry, but team sports don't work that way!
     
    oldmangrouch, Apr 4, 2009
    #299
  20. MrJayremmie

    MrJayremmie Well-Known Member

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    This is Roy's 3rd season, so instead of comparing someone over the last 5 years, I go by who is the best this year (because over the year I think it gives a better understanding of how good a player is RIGHT NOW) and I think that Roy is the 6th best player inthe NBA, and I think the stats back that up. THey defintely back it up as 7th best, but I think he is playing better than Tim Duncan.

    SImilar to how I think LeBron is the best player in the NBA and better than Kobe, but if you take into account the past 5 years, Kobe is better. But I am just taking into account right now because it tells me how good a player is right now (at least for a season)... and I have come to the conclusion (as many have) that LeBron is better than Kobe.

    Even Rocket commentators on the MSP said that if Houston and PDX played a series that PDX would have the best player in the series.

    Anyway, this has been a very entertaining thread.
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2009
    MrJayremmie, Apr 4, 2009
    #300
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