The future's not what it was

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Rastapopoulos

Rastapopoulos

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Do we still believe that any of the current Blazers is a foundation piece for a finals team? I was (uncharacteristically) full of optimism before the season started. Probably my highest hopes were for Shaedon (despite his atrocious shooting in Summer League), but I had managed to talk myself into Scoot-frenzy as well. I even believed that Ayton could re-launch his career with us and was still young enough to be on the team when the Scoot-Sharpe backcourt led us to the promised land. Finally I was a huge Jabari fan and saw him as the x-factor.

Well I'm really struggling to find my former optimism. Both Scoot and Shae are looking distressingly injury-prone, and Scoot is proving to be not only less skillful but less athletic than advertised (along with the acknowledged shooting weaknesses). Jabari seems to have regressed, and Ayton, while he was showing flashes recently, also seems constantly injured. I'm honestly not sold that any of them will be on the roster if we ever make the finals again.

At this point I'm just hoping for Jody to sell the team.
 
This team is babying every single injury this season. I think Shaedon is a solid piece for this team's future. I think we have no idea about Scoot yet... could be great and could be out of the league in a few seasons... I lean further towards great on that spectrum. I like a bunch of role players we have including Tou and Kris. We obviously need star power. As far as Deandre goes he has already started at C in the finals and his basketball is still ahead of him.

We will have 2 lotto picks in this draft. We should be adding picks and maybe a young player or two out of Jerami, Malcolm and Ant. I think this rebuild is still in it's early stages but I also think the future looks bright.
 
the injuries have been frustrating. I think there will be some player movement and new blood in the offseason that will provide you hope. part of the rebuild is going to be learning how to watch with a more macro lens. development is not linear and it will likely be hard to monitor improvements on a game-to-game basis.

re: scoot, my theory is that he is still playing through something and is also hitting a bit of the rookie wall. some of the pop he had earlier in the season (too much pop, really) seems to be gone because he's never played this many games before. remember he's still a year younger than amen and ausar who are both considered developmental prospects.

a lot of the development for these guys, especially on the blazers, will be in the gym during the offseason vs. before our eyes. if kris murray's 3s simply went in, for example, he would look like a completely different player. we're seeing that right now with toumani camara.

despite cronin's ovations about not wanting to take any steps back, I also dont think they're going to rush the draft and develop process by trying to make the play-in next year or something. this team will need to stay in this purgatory until they have the talent for playoff runs vs. the middle of the pack.
 
The only player for whom I really have any hope at this point is Sharpe. Yes, he has been injured more than I'd like but at least he has shown capabilities.
  • Scoot - was excited but less skillful than advertised but has mastered the art of the turnover
  • Walker - had more hopes but agree, seems like a perpetual end of the bench role player, there is a problem if he is more (at least in his current state)
  • Camara - Good role player but nothing you build around
  • Ant - I think he would be a great sixth man - problem is with the team as it exists, he's the first man
  • Grant - best option we have there but not a fan, at all
  • Ayton - yeah, was hoping for more but kinda like Nurk, you get the occasional good with a ton of mediocre
Doesn't look to be a great draft class but surely we can do better than what we have; after all, what we have has set a very low bar.
 
Rastapopoulos said:
Do we still believe that any of the current Blazers is a foundation piece for a finals team? I was (uncharacteristically) full of optimism before the season started. Probably my highest hopes were for Shaedon (despite his atrocious shooting in Summer League), but I had managed to talk myself into Scoot-frenzy as well. I even believed that Ayton could re-launch his career with us and was still young enough to be on the team when the Scoot-Sharpe backcourt led us to the promised land. Finally I was a huge Jabari fan and saw him as the x-factor.

Well I'm really struggling to find my former optimism. Both Scoot and Shae are looking distressingly injury-prone, and Scoot is proving to be not only less skillful but less athletic than advertised (along with the acknowledged shooting weaknesses). Jabari seems to have regressed, and Ayton, while he was showing flashes recently, also seems constantly injured. I'm honestly not sold that any of them will be on the roster if we ever make the finals again.

At this point I'm just hoping for Jody to sell the team.
Click to expand...

It has been a frustrating season to say the least, but you have to take it as it is. This is what you get starting over. Most of the injuries are greatly exaggerated to keep players out and to help build losses. That is the nature of rebuilds.

We have two 1st rnd picks this draft. We will probably trade one of them. We will likely trade Grant, Malcolm, or Williams. The rebuild will continue. The next few years will be like this. Lots of "injuries." Not many wins.

The danger in it, is you have to create a foundation and keep building on it. Guys like Sharpe and Scoot can still be our future stars, but if we don't play them, they won't get there.

We probably won't be good again till Dame comes back.
 
It’s gonna take years. 40 wins by 2026.
 
What does Jody selling have to do with it? At least She is allowing the experts or so called experts to run the Org. Do you want a meddling Owner?

Is Nike apparel make this team have wings?
 
3 years of tanking guts a fanbase and I'm part of that...not invested, not excited, not impressed with the results of 3 years of tanking...which basically gave us unproven players and lost us the greatest Blazer of all time. Having the number 3 pick and getting Scoot was not worth losing Dame in my view . I would've traded Nurk and Naz for Ayton in a heartbeat and wish we could've paired Dame with Grant and Ayton ...oh well. Now the franchise has to work pretty hard to make a die hard fan out of me again. I've never shut so many games of in a season before they were over until this one. I'm not excited about the draft at all. I hope they do build a great team again but have lost a bit of trust that they will do that anytime soon.
 
AquaXI said:
What does Jody selling have to do with it? At least She is allowing the experts or so called experts to run the Org. Do you want a meddling Owner?

Is Nike apparel make this team have wings?
Click to expand...
are we confident she or "Vulcan" especially is not meddling?
 
I haven't watched more than a quarter of a game in weeks, months. Just don't care.

They don't seem / feel like a "team." Just some guys they signed and drafted and threw on the court. No cohesion. No identity. No style.

No fun.
 
I think anybody expecting a quick turnaround (2-3 years) after trading Dame was delusional.

And the reality is that Olshey left a bare cupboard for Cronin to use and Cronin hasn't done a good job of re-stocking it yet...maybe because of not enough time, too few trips to the store, and a poor exchange rate for his currency

Blazers are a lottery team...now, next couple of seasons, and likely the season after those
 
KingSpeed said:
Most young players take time. After Billups’ rookie season as a player, did you have him becoming a Finals MVP?
Click to expand...
Right now I'd be more thrilled if Chauncey could win a coach of the month multiple times
 
As many have stated before, Dame stating that it was either trade the pick or trade me immediately lowered the value of the pick. Cronin had no leverage.

Many of us wanted to try and build around Dame but Dame himself significantly shot that effort down or at minimum, reduced Cronin's ability to fulfill Dame's desire of getting someone to help out through trading the pick.

Yes, things would be different if Dame were here. We'd at least be mediocre as compared to abysmal. However, we'd still be perpetually mediocre.

Much as I hate the state of the team now, at least the rebuild has started as compared to a decade of continual false hope and mediocrity, regardless of the whether it was #FireStotts, #TradeDame or #SharpeAndScoot.

I don't know that our worst days are behind us yet but at least we aren't stuck in no-mans-land of mediocre enough to make the playoffs and not get a decent draft pick and continue in mediocrity.

For now, we, as fans, are stuck in our-team-sucks----really-bad land but with the hope that perhaps things will improve.

I allowed myself to get somewhat excited about drafting Scoot. No matter who we draft this year, I'm keeping my expectations low and maybe, just maybe, they'll prove their worth something. So far, Scoot really hasn't done that for me.
 
Piece for a finals team? Not as a Blazer...I would be shocked if the Blazers are in the Finals anytime in the next 7-10 years. Now, we do have a few players that have the potential to be part of a Blazers playoff roster but even that is likely years away at this point.
 
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Two guys where I think the Blazers made great moves acquiring them for very little: Camara and Banton. Both are going to be keepers in my book.

Two guys that I think have All-Star potential but are going to need 2-3 years to get there: Scoot and Sharpe. Scoot’s game will open up dramatically if he can improve his outside shot this summer. Sharpe just needs to stay healthy and get PT.

Two guys I think stick next year who will be largely unpopular with this board: Ant and Ayton. They both have deficiencies in their games, but also have talents the team needs.

Two guys I think will be gone next year: the Boston duo - Williams and Brogdon. Both are likely to be coveted by other GMs on contenders and can bring back other picks and/or players.

Two things I believe that will piss off many around here: Cronin will make moves to acquire young vets via trade, possibly using first round picks plus players, and has no intention of the Blazers being a lottery team next year; and Chauncey is going to stick as coach for at least a couple more seasons.
 
Blazers use a distinct tank battle formation. This is year 3 of resting starters to lose games. It's the best incentive for being a high salary player in Portland.

Coach Billups steps in the batting cage after ugly, bad defensive effort nights. The starters do their thang, occasionally bust out big stats, maybe win a few. Then the starters get a month or more of paid vacation.

in the movie "The Replacements" the starters walked, and the team hired a silly cast of ballers to play the games. In that movie, the starters got very angry and tipped over Neo's S-10 pickup truck.

Unlike that feature, the GM in Portland hands out very expensive pom poms, and the starters are overjoyed with excitment rooting for their temporary replacements.
 
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GrandpaBlaze said:
but at least we aren't stuck in no-mans-land of mediocre enough to make the playoffs and not get a decent draft pick and continue in mediocrity.
Click to expand...
Wait? Who are these players and where were they drafted that everyone right now is saying has a bunch of upside playing for the Blazers right now?
Toumani Camara - pick #52
Dalano Banton - pick #46
Ryan Rupert - pick # 43
Ibou Badji - undrafted
Duop Reath - undrafted
Kris Murray - pick #23
Jabrari Walker - pick # 57

Right now you are pinning everything on Sharpe and Scoot with the possibility of it all working with Ayton and Simons. Or possibly trading Simons for a decent player which they had that option anyway.
There is not a player there they could not have had while keeping Lillard except maybe Scoot.

Going after a tank job again this year was a waste of time. The 5-7th pick will not be a difference maker.

Lillard
Grant
Matisse
Simons
Brogdon
Ayton
Sharpe
Walker
Camarta
Reath

While Developing
Scoot
Murray
Banton
Rupert
Badgi

They still would have been able to get the Warriors pick. Second round picks can be bought.
 
KingSpeed said:
Most young players take time. After Billups’ rookie season as a player, did you have him becoming a Finals MVP?
Click to expand...
For God's sake find a second example. I almost suspect that the reason we haven't fired Chauncey is so we can point to him as a sign of hope for Scoot's future.
 
Coming from someone who does not like to blow things up because of the uncertainty of the draft year to year........this whole dooms day thread is both pathetic and laughable at the same time. Things in the NBA can change in a hurry.
 
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