Steve Duin: Same old numbing mediocrity (confirmed)

Re: Steve Duin: Portland Trail Blazers: Same old numbing mediocrity

You changed the wording ever so slightly, but had a big impact on the meaning. If Roy/Aldridge/Oden would have been healthy, that team would have been a dynasty. They were so young (youngest team in the league) and had ALL the pieces. Hell, they won 54 games with Oden saddled with injuries, Roy just entering what should have been his prime, Batum (20-year old rookie) and Aldridge still several years away from their primes. People forget how young and talented that team was. Blake and Przybilla were the old guys at 28 and 29. Outlaw was a 5-year veteran, but only 24. Oden, was 21 and technically a rookie.

Now, if you remove the would have been qualifier and change it to "was", and if the young guys pan out, this team has a chance to someday (several years in the future) win 54 games and be as good as those Roy/Aldridge/Oden teams actually were. But, when it comes to talent, from the top of the roster to the bottom, this current team doesn't come close.

BNM

 

Re: Steve Duin: Portland Trail Blazers: Same old numbing mediocrity

I mean what I said. Would have been. Obviously Oden is the biggest question mark, because Roy would have kept on averaging somewhere around 22, 5, and 5. The question is, however, would Aldridge have improved as much as he did if Roy never went down? Would Batum grow with Roy still on the team?Those the biggest question mark, in my mind.

I genuinely think that Lillard has the talent to be as good as Roy was. Is that a guarantee? No. If we've learned anything from the past four years, it's that there are no guarantees. In my opinion though, a great point guard is more valuable than a great shooting guard. Lillard with Batum, Aldridge, and Leonard could still be a dynasty. We don't know yet, but I think they have the talent. I also like our bench with Freeland, Claver, and Barton. I think we're one more good piece away from having a very solid rotation. That and some seasoning for our young guys.

But, with that said, I haven't made any guarantees. I said they "might" be better than the big three in the long run. That's a pretty ambiguous statement

 

Not to argue just for the sake of arguing, but finding a good PG in today's NBA is far, far easier than finding a good SG.

 

Man, there are so many variations of the point guard and shooting guard positions. The lines are blurred. Are they play makers? Passers? Scorers? The only thing that seems to separate the two positions at this point are the stereotypes of height and where they should play. I think it's difficult to find a really good guard. There are a lot of good point guards and shooting guards, but how many really good or great ones? Brandon Roy was a really good shooting guard, on the verge of greatness when he started to slow down because of his knees. Can Lillard be a really good point guard or even a great one? Sure. I think he has the talent. Will he? That's anybodies guess at this point.

 

Lillard is a shooting guard in a point guards body

 

He's really not.

 

Nah, he's a PG who can shoot. He can create his own shot, but he can also create for others.

PGs that can shoot have always been, and will always be, a valuable commodity. The key is knowing when to pass vs. when to shoot. Guys like Nash and Stockton are/were great shooters that also always managed to keep their teammates involved. Stephon Marbury, not so much. This is where Russell Westbrook struggles. He plays with the best scorer in the league, the 3-time defending scoring champ, yet Westbrook constantly calls his own number and freezes out Durant during the 4th quarter of crucial playoff games.

Thankfully Lillard, for such an inexperienced players, seems to already have the right mentality to be a successful NBA PG.

BNM

 

Well Said. ^

All I know is that Lillard's shooting ability is sky high. Guess that's what growing up shooting on a tree will do for ya.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9a2gPxe6FcM[/video]

 

And Westbrook is only getting worse... last season he averaged 5.5 assists, which was down from the 8 assists he averaged in the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 seasons.

 

Yep, with Kevin Durant and James Harden on his team, he should be averaging > 10 apg.

He's an even bigger ballhog in the playoffs, especially the 4th quarter of close games. Westbrook played 70 fewer minutes during the playoffs than Durant, but took 24 more shots. That should never happen.

BNM

 

That's why, ultimately, I think he'll be the one to go on that team. They might look to trade him this summer and re-sign Harden.