Neil Olshay talked this offseason as though getting depth was stupid, and that we needed to save our money to sign another max guy. But we could be chasing that dream forever, while having the most pathetic bench in the NBA. I can't believe how inept they all look.
Neil Olshey is a pretty good salesman. Looking at the bench it's plainly obvious he had no intention of surrendering his first round pick to Charlotte this year.
Olshey hopes to get a high lotto pick and either a good free agent or trade space for a 'needle mover'. This plan requires a sucky bench. I see nothing wrong with this plan. Even though the gamble might not work on either count, I approve the strategy. If successful, the bench will be improved by default, plus we can go ahead and sign a better class of scrub once our primary players are set.
Yeah, not quite. The Blazers will probably win enough to pick around the 9-12 range, and this draft class has been called one of the worst ever. And if you look at the FA class, there are no "needle movers" to be had. The only way this team will "move the needle" is to get some help off the bench. I think his plan was to make a play on James Harden next year, but that fell through.
It does look like our starters are going to win too many games. But the season is still young. RE free agents, I'm hoping we can make a trade with our imaginary cap space.
They also said that last year's draft class was very weak ... it seems like they say that every year.
What happened last night is a perfect example of what's going to happen soon when our big 4 start to break down and get tired from all the heavy minutes. IF ALL 4 of them are are clicking and having a perfect night, we have a chance at winning some games, that's a big IF though FAMS!
Exactly. Watching the game last night I anticipated another "Bench" thread and the whole time I am thinking this loss has nothing to do with them. The starters were fresh with 3 days rest and they simply got out hustled on the road. Get used to it. Phoenix was in their face the whole game and acted like they wanted it more. The refs let them play and they took advantage. The starters had 15 of the 20 turn overs. The announcers mentioned how bad our bench is, and conversely how our starters are one of the top in the league in terms of points scored. The reason is because they take all the shots. There is always a starter in the game. We need a scapegoat every year. This year's focus is the bench. Is it a weakness? Yes, but it is not the reason we got blown out last night.
Olshey's Clipper strategy is temporarily working in Los Angeles after 30 years of failing. He migrated here because Portland has the most Golden Future-myopic fans in the NBA. "Wow, just THINK about our Golden Future!" Hey, it worked for Pritchard and McMillan for years...
