What if we trade nobody?

Can yoy name a GM presser from any team that is 100% forthright and honest? What you want is not reality and backs him into a corner for future negotiations.

 

Every GM has the same disclaimer..."unless something pops up that makes us better" .....GMs speculate just like fans do...I don't think that's the same as lying....lying would be trading damaged players without disclosure, etc....they are in the franchise projection business. Why shouldn't Joe be happy? Because some podcast isn't happy? This team has building blocks and it's not poorly constructed...there is room for better offensive production but we have two way players and the best bench we've had in years.

 

Yes, that podcast rules everything, glad you figured it out.

 

Exactly. Well said.

 

Joe isn’t a great GM but folks are gonna cook this guy as long as this team is rebuilding. He just got lampooned consecutively for his deadline and offseason pressers for getting bullied into revealing his hand (‘we cant wait to overpay for someone’). Keep it positive keep it vague. If I had any minor critique for his pressers the dude should put a narrative framework around his rebuild; morey had the process, Pritchard had ‘let it bake’, Joe has ‘we want to be good next year.’ (ha)

 

Thats a fair take i agree with.

 

No...the podcast that is consistently unhappy with the the organization and rants against it ? ....maybe that's your rule but Bones, I don't need to figure it out. Your not the only unhappy podcast covering the Blazers although I'm sure you see it that way. Richman is unhappy with the trade deadline and has a podcast.....I subscribe to a handful of Blazer podcasts so don't get too full of yourself. I generalized my post but if you want to take it personally, well that's in line with your rules I guess. Choices. I check your podcast regularly Torey ...last one you compared Danalo Banton to Mario Herzonjia....we disagree about that and that's ok.

 

Since Joe's taken over we've had anything but stability with respect to our roster.

Previously we had largely the same core and a few changes around the outside to give the illusion of progress.

We have no such illusion now. Since the start of the 2022 season, the Blazers have had 46 players log minutes. Consider this with respect to new players:

• 2017 - 5 new players
  
• 2018 - 4 new players
  
• 2019 - 7 new players
  
• 2020 - 9 new players
  
• 2021 - 8 new players
• 2022 - 20 new players
• 2023 - 14 new players
• 2024 (so far) - 14 new players

Billups hasn't proven anything coaching-wise (other than his teams lose a lot) but then again, he is often playing with the equivalent of a pick-up roster. Hard to judge a guy when half his players are injured.

Its almost like he is coaching a "Replacements" team (without Keanu Reeves) vs. real teams. Yes, we lose a lot and sometimes get blown out but amazingly enough, we aren't the worst out there.

However, that being said, if the cycling through players continues for much longer, then the problem really does start pointing at the GM doing something wrong. You can only blame injuries for so long.

Of course, if some had their way, we'd trade anyone that's been here for more than two seasons or is above the legal drinking age and draft a bunch of new guys to start the cycle all over again.

Gramps...

 

I need someone to explain to me why that matters since we'll probably be trading Brogdon and/or Grant in the summer anyway. There are now a very limited number of wholly negative contracts in the league based on the new cba rules and the salary floor makes it more difficult for GMs to be able to absorb guys every summer like Presti did.

Not after 2024 they don't. I think the reason they held out on trading at the deadline was because they dont need any more 2024 picks and they want future picks further out. Teams will be able to trade further out starting in the summer. I'd rather have a protected 2025 or later pick than a 3rd first in this year's draft. I'd imagine this was part of that strategy—you might be on the same page with Joe here.

I don't disagree that Chuancey sucks, though I'm not sure the move is to fire him now (I wanted him gone after that road trip from hell, btw).

By all indications it looks like they're trying to build through the draft—so let's take a beat and evaluate him on that: they've got like 7 developmental players on the roster, 2 of which look like they'll be impact players at this stage of their development, and Camara/Walker look like serviceable guys who you could at worst flip if you don't want to keep around. It doesn't appear like they're misses. I think we'll get more information about Kris Murray and Rayan Rupert pretty soon, and I actually like Murray more than Camara because he has a more diverse set of skills. We'll see once he adds volume/usage.

I think you're being hyperbolic.

The last GM that had a positive approval rating IMO was canned 14 years ago. I don't think Cronin has been that good, but I don't think he's "falling on his face in almost every way as a GM"—his individual basketball moves have been largely defensible (I wasn't a fan of the Roco/Norm trade but I also get that they were about to throw money at Nurkic/Ant to keep Dame happy). If the glass is at 50%, this is a fanbase that sees it as half empty every time.

I get that people want the ship to turn around ASAP but I prefer the measured approach vs. the 'take it down to the studs' approach. I'm a sicko so I have watched more than my fill of Rockets, Thunder and Pistons basketball the last few seasons, and lord—those were some dire times.

I think the draft capital thing will look different this summer.

 

How quickly we've gone from being disgruntled with the lack of roster changes and first round exits to the instability of the roster and return trips to the lottery.

 

people were still cheering for more churn at the deadline. take a banton and a glass of water and call me in the summer.

 

I prefer to read the players, especially the veterans who have seen enough to know when something good is cooking. Players seem happy, wanting to stay, and playing hard. I'm pretty confident that a few disgruntled fans griping in a forum are not keeping him up at night. I've not been in the arena of running a sports organization, let alone doing it in a small market with state income tax, so I don't have much to say on specifics. Like many fans, I'm enjoying the season, can see the potential, and look forward to the development. It's a fantastic and entertaining escape from the daily grind.

 

All I'm trying to say is that, while I have doubts about Billups coaching abilities, I also see him constantly dealing with new people and lineups and it is difficult to establish a system when every month or so you drop a couple of players and pick up a couple new ones and the guys that have been around are injured so you have to play they new, inexperienced people.

To a degree, that helps me understand why at times, the Blazers look like they are playing pick-up ball - because, in essence, they are.

 

I agee with you!

 

No, probably more like I agree with you. A mediocre mind agreeing with a great mind.

 

One of us is great and it certainly isn't me!

 

Dallas traded a bag of potato chips for PJ Washington & Daniel Gafford. Both young players, both with frontline skillsets that could help Portland now & later.

The ever insightful Danny Marang told Cronin he shouldn't have to worry about roster decisions for 18 months, unless of course it's a tax dodging transaction.

The team is soooo happy. I guess we add Brogdon to the list of vets that get a fat Jody Allen bag, to sit games out and watch their team lose?

 

Agree to disagree.

 

But the rebuild will be more fun than getting knocked out of the playoffs, they said.