The super Melo to Portland thread + The Big Blockbuster

I doubt he hates Neil as much as he hates backing up Chris Paul in Houston

 

somebody posted Mo has cleared or deleted his twitter account...sometimes that happens when players know they're moving I guess

 

I wouldn't really list rebounding as one of Harkless' strengths either though. Relative to his role, I think he surpasses Ryno by a smidge.

And I do think positions matter for a guy like Anderson. He's strictly been a PF in his career at least matchups wise. He's too slow/unathletic to guard perimeter players, and not big or bulky enough to guard centers. Harkless is a two way wing player, which I find inherently more valuable than a soft stretch big.

 

He backed up Harden/Beverly last year.

 

he wasn't traded to New Orleans for Harden and Beverly though...his beef was with the Chris Paul trade...Chris Paul isn't backing up Eric Gordon anytime soon

 

Yeah that is quote is what I remember as well. But does it really suggest he hates Neil or that he was just frustrated with how the NBA works..... as a business.

 

If Melo wants to go to Houston it sort of exposes the past doesn't mean shit.....he and D'Antoni didn't get along at all in New York....now, it's all good....I'm sure Gordon has moved on as well from a trade that happened many years ago..

 

Regardless, I'd stay away from Gordon. Dude is too injury prone and gets paid wayy too much. He had a relatively healthy season last year so I expect him to maybe play 50 games this year. And he doesn't really bring skills that we lack.

 

Ah, I see what you mean. But I don't think Gordon had any beef with Paul himself--he just felt lied to by Olshey over the whole affair.

 

Then what exactly is Harkless' strength? He is not that great of a shooter, or passer, or dribbler. He does provide energy (but not really on a consistent basis) and he is a decent defender. (But I would not say a great defender)
Don't get me wrong I like Moe but is losing him that big of a deal? Seems like he can be replaced.

 

Harkless isn't exceptional at anything, if that's what you mean by strength. His value lies in not having a weakness that makes him unplayable in certain situations/match-ups like so many other players have. He's a decent defender, okay shooter, showed some solid ability to play off Nurkic. On a team that struggles to field players who can contribute on both ends of the court, Harkless can.

 

Besides his rookie season and last year (played 78 and 75 games respectfully), Gordon has averaged 48 games per season.... Hell to the NAW...

 

Just to be fair, he shot .400 and .417 from 3 in his two previous playoff series.

 

And it was how many years ago? Does it really even matter? Neil isn't in the locker room Neil isn't on the court

 

I agree with that assessment. And since he plays best as a starter and not off the bench, I think it is inevitable that he is moved as we will need an upgrade at that position. If he gets traded now, that upgrade might not come this season but it still needs to come.

 

I don't totally agree with this line of thinking, but rely on the coaches to fill in the blanks. I think Mo is the perfect SF for this team, and the only thing I see lacking is his being more aggressive with his scoring. If they believe he is just a passive guy and will always defer then it probably is best to trade him. But, if he could get a bit more edgy and aggressive, he could be an amazing player.

 

He's elite at slashing to the basket and finishing. He makes our team better because he's the best at that. We need this because it keeps the D honest and opens up space for 3 point shooters.

Over a 3rd of Jusuf's assists are to Hark slashing and finishing with authority. NO one on the team (save maybe Dame) can do this as well as Harkless.

And, If we keep him, I'll bet dollars to doughnuts, with full season with Nurk, he'll shoot 38-39% from 3.

 

Well put.

 

Exactly. Harkless is a middle-of-the-road, jack-of-all-trades player. He's like Batum-lite. For some reason Blazers fans seem to hate these sorts of players. But IMO they are essential. Especially if they are as efficient as Moe was last season. People keep saying we need an upgrade, but you'd be hard pressed to find an obtainable upgrade at SF. If you find a better defender he'll be worse on offense. If you find a better shooter, he'll be worse on defense. But good luck finding someone who is better at either, let alone both.