Which player besides Lillard would you most be upset to see traded?

BELIEVE based on what? Their spectacular results with Meyers and Vonleh? How much has Nurk "improved" since we got him last February. He looks worse now than when he was an out of shape Denver reject.

It seems you have way too much faith in our current coaching staff. Their results certainly don't warrant it.

BNM

 

but he's healthy....that burst last year broke his leg

 

Ok, I'll edit my post: He looks worse now than when he was an out of shape Denver reject with a broken leg.

BNM

 

I think blaming coaches is lazy. I would love to see regular Blazer fans sit down with Stotts, Vanterpool, Tibbets, Osborne etc and tell them how bad they are. Funny to me.

 

I would like them to tell me why Meyers regressed so much after Hughes was fired and what new offensive move they have taught Noah Vonleh in the 2.5 seasons he's been here.

You may find their lack of improvement funny. I do not.

BNM

 

I said I find fans who think they know more than NBA coaches funny. Some players just aren’t cut out to be good NBA players. Meyers is one of them. Sit down with a GM or a coach and talk to them about what it’s like to coach 22-30 year old millionaires. What they do for them, the resources they have, the coaches who fly to their hometowns in the offseason, the film, the constant support and some just never take to it. Some really love their puppies and jeeps and taking photos of themselves shirtless.

 

Oh. Well, you should stop believing that Terry knows how the fuck to use - let alone develop - a PF.

 

And some coaches just aren't cut out to be good NBA coaches. Ditto GMs.
See: Maurice Cheeks; Isaiah Thomas.
See also: Terry Stotts*, Neil Olshey*

*Kinda kidding. Kinda.

 

Yes sir! Haaaa

 

Sorry if I'm coming off as a dick - I just really can't stand Terry Stotts. It's him, not you. Unless you like him, then fuck you too!

 

I never said I know more than any NBA coaches. I never suggested the Blazers hire me as their big man coach. So, why don't we try to focus less on me and more on the issue?

It is a fact that their are big men coaches out there who have a proven track record of "coaching up" young big men. We used to have one on our payroll until he was fired for something unrelated to his job performance.

It is also a fact that we currently have 5 big men on our roster that are 25 and younger. All five were first round picks and three were lottery picks.

This is where opinion enters the equation. I am personally disappointed in the development of the three young bigs that have been here the longest: Meyers Leonard, Noah Vonleh and Jusuf Nurkic. I feel our coaching staff has done a poor job developing these three players.

The jury is still out on the two 20-year old rookies, but given the development arcs of the other three, I am not optimistic the two rookies will reach their full potential.

You used this thread as an opportunity to take a cheap shot at Meyers Leonard. I get it, bashing Meyers is a favorite forum pastime and he's an easy target. However, in this case, you're off the mark.

Meyers was making progress under Kim Hughes. His defense and rebounding were both improving. At the time he made the comments that got him fired, Hughes was, in fact working with Meyers, during the off season, in Illinois.

After Hughes was fired, Meyers immediately went into a tailspin. Meyers was never going to be an all star, but during the previous season, and especially the playoffs series against MEM, at least he looked like he could be one a decent 8th or 9th man. Instead, he regressed and the season following Hughes' dismissal was the worst of Meyers' career and he's never gotten back to where he once was. Blame it all on Meyers if you wish, but history shows when we had a proven big man coach, Meyers was making progress and without a big man coach, he regressed.

If a proven big man coach can help Meyers, imagine what one could do with Nurk, Collins, Vonleh and Swanigan. Worst case, what does it hurt to try? What do we have to lose by hiring a proven big man coach?

BNM

 

I agree we could use a big man coach but it's not Stotts fault Meyers has a slow motion brain....Meyers hired a coach this off season...Noah I think it's a matter of maturity as well...Noah plays better like anybody with minutes so we have a small sample size to see what he can do now

 

Meyers is the least of my concerns. Just pointing out that even he was making progress under Kim Hughes.

I'm much more concerned with Nurkic and Collins, and to a lesser extent, Swanigan. The future of this franchise rides on the shoulders of the first two. I want to see Paul hire the best big man coach money can buy to work with these two.

BNM

 

The fact that Meyers went into a years long tailspin (according to you) when Kim Hughes was fired tells us a lot about his mental toughness and willingness to develop into a big man. Meyers wants to be on the perimeter - another fact. Why didn’t he use the unbelievable tutelage he got from Hughes and carry it on? He just let it all go and took nothing from it? As I have written multiple times, I am not opposed to a “big man coach”. I do however think it is an easy excuse for relieving the players of responsibility because I think they are in fact getting coaching and being told what and how to do their job.

 

Stop focusing on Meyers. At this point he is a lost cause. It wasn't Hughes that moved him to the perimeter, it was Stotts. And, it's not like he was Hughes' star pupil. Hughes has an excellent record of coaching up other big men, but he's just one example of a proven big man coach.

Being told what and how to do their jobs is not the same as teaching someone the specific, and often subtle, skills required to master their position. Hire a proven big man coach, and if the players don't improve, I will concede that it's the players' fault.

BNM

 

I don’t know more than the coaches, but I do know when they need help. This staff needs help with big man coaching.

 

And this shouldn't be a Stotts' decision. It should be a Paul Allen decision. He is the one investing hundreds of millions of dollars is these young big men, some of whom may be around many years after Terry Stotts' is gone.

This isn't about in game coaching, calling plays and juggling lineups. This is about player development.

BNM

 

Agreed, but that may be part of the problem. I’m not sure Paul will recognize the need.

 

Well, hopefully one of the Vulcans will point it out to him. It seems logical.

BNM