If we do what Dan Patrick and Charles Barkley think we could do by getting into the playoffs, upsetting the Lakers and then making a long run and for me that would mean a better showing in the Western Conference Finals or going further, then this team should do everything they can to bring everyone back, draft someone who fits and add one new piece with the MLE. That isn't the most likely outcome though, is it? Don't get me wrong, I think it is possible and it's what I'm hoping for but it likely won't go down like that. Even if we make the playoffs and upset the Lakers anything less than doing better than last season, wouldn't be enough for me. So, if the likely happens and we perform worse than we did last season, I think this should be our plan. The first bold move we should make is trading CJ to a team with cap space (if that exists under the new cap or CBA or whatever the fuck happens to this league) but we trade CJ for less incoming salary in the form of a little younger, less gifted 3 and D wing (Maybe a three team deal that gets us Josh Richardson or a deal to get someone like him). We also keep Ariza, re-sign Hassan, re-sign Wenyen, sign a good back up PG with full our MLE and draft the best players available and that's it. So we would have a depth chart of. Dame, MLE, Ant Lets just say Richardson, Gary Ariza, Nas, recovering Hood Zach, Wenyen Nurk, Hassan Draft picks fill in the last two roster spots I think addition by subtraction with CJ, getting a better fit next to Dame for CJ, getting a whole season with Ariza, having Gary and Nas improving a lot, getting full seasons from Nurk, Zach and Hassan, getting some good improvement from Wenyen and adding a couple of draft picks would make us an even more legit contender. Obviously we would still have the Dame/Nurk two man game as the focus of our offense. We would have a lot of shooters on the wings around them. I think Zach would be a great third scoring option. If we had a defensive specialist and Ariza starting next to Dame, with Zach and Nurk down low, and with all of the defenders coming off the bench including Hassan, our defense would be extremely stifling. That's a team that could contend for a championship.
I don't see how a ssimple swap of CJ for Richardson and trotting everything else back the same makes us a better team. That's a pretty bad deal for Portland. I'm ok with moving CJ in the right deal. I think that deal needs to bring back a starting 3, however, at a minimum.
I think its cohesion. We really haven't seen this team together and these 8 games I don't think will be enough. But he did say IF we make a deep run, meaning we are already contenders. Sometimes a role playing swap changes a contender to a champion.
If you swap one role player for another role player sure. But here we'd be swapping a #3 for what we expect to be a role player.
But a role player that fits the correct role. We don't need a guy of CJ's level on offense, so many of the things he is great at take our offense out of a cohesive flow. We need defense at that spot and CJ just doesn't give that and we also need a spot up three point shooter which while CJ is much more than capable of being a spot up shooter he has consistently shown us, that is not what he is willing to be (the guy passes up open looks that he could easily drain constantly to set up his own iso play). So we shed close to 20 million in salary, we keep the offense centered around Dame and Nurk, we no longer have to see Dame acquiescing to CJ who is doing Dame things at a lower level and our offense becomes much more streamlined. That move puts our defense at an elite level, especially if our young guys who have great defensive potential (Gary, Nas and Wenyen) continue to improve. So, CJ's defense kills us and his offensive game (the way he chooses to use it) hurts us too. A guy who is a really really good perimeter defender and can consistently hit the open three quickly is a better fit for us than CJ even though that guy is most likely not as good overall as CJ is.
Josh Richardson would not be more cohesive offensively. Itd be change without the purpose of improving the talent level on the team and it'd be a mistake.
Yeah exactly. The problem with the roster that blazerkor has suggested is that dame is basically the one guy who can create his shot which would make our offense worse. Now if we got someone like TJ Warren or even Harrison Barnes then I think the offense would be more cohesive with Warren/Barnes being a 3rd scoring option that can create their shot if needed
Richardson, when asked to play that 3 and D complimentary rile in philly has seen his defense decline, and he shoots 33% from the field. Removing CJ for nothing but a player worse than him doesnt make our team better by fit, IMO. I think this offseason could be the year you do potentially look to move CJ, but an overrated defender, poor shooter on an expiring deal isnt the move you make.
I have no clue of him individually per say, But I could see the aspect of replacing CJ with lesser talent to balance the roster cohesiveness as a reason.
Wait. I went back and readx. Its not about JOsh adding cohesion per say, its about our current roster as a whole having a whole year of cohesion. Many of these guys are playing together in lineups they never have before.
Yeah, that's a much better deal in my opinion than Richardson and it would get us the same effect that I would be looking for. I hope Miami would be interested, one of the reasons I went with a downgrade as big as Richardson is that I don't know how toxic other GMs view CJ's contract but yeah I'd love Nunn and Robinson if we could get them.
Dame has to go nuclear in these 8 games, and by nuclear, i mean he has to play like he did during his historic stretch. Our Schedule is fucking brutal, we need Dame at his best ever. I'm really excited to see how he will play
We need more top end talent, not less. A one-on-one swap for a less talented player more than cancels out the "Role player firing the correct role". You're overvaluing fit and undervaluing talent. We do not win Game 7 of the WCSF last year with Josh Richardson instead of C.J. Dame doesnt "acquiesce" to C.J. He would not be putting up better numbers without C.J. and with a worse player in his place. He'd have even more attention without C.J. though.
I'm hoping the Sixers flame out this year, and that they finally decide that Embiid + Simmons is just untenable. Hopefully a trade for CJ+Pick+Collins for Simmons looks like a good deal for them, which it would be. It'd be good for us too, balancing out both rosters. With Dame's shooting, Simmons' playmaking/defense, and Nurk's impact on all facets of the game, I think we'd be well set up to contend. If that can't happen, I think we still shop CJ around for another star. But CJ is an all-star caliber guard in the East. We can't just trade him away for spare parts and write it off as addition by subtraction.
Man! I'm about tired of all the CJ hate. He gets better every year. Really was key to getting to the WCF, and some are ready to ship him off. And i don't get all the love for Ant's game. Ant hasn't shown didley he can play with the big boys. Sure he had that great game. But that's it. He has regressed in almost every way, and is is one of the worst defenders on the team. I like Ant, he's a great kid, but his game is totally in the developmental stages. CJ on the other hand is a proven commodity. Very few players become great if they don't show special in games right out of the gate. Ant has had that moment one time. Time to step his game up.
I like CJ. Not hating on him, I just think we could balance the roster into a better team with his value. IM okay either way myself honestly, because if we can somehow bring this whole team back, thats what I really want to see. A year of growing stability and cohesion to see our optimal ceiling.
