I've lost track of what is being argued here, but if anybody is claiming that somehow Portland can trade for Harrell by giving up a draft pick, and a couple of low level rotation players....yeah, that ain't happening, and is just rose-colored pipe-dreams. I'd be really skeptical about the notion that LAC is even looking to move Harrell, but if they are, teams will be lining up with better packages than what Portland can give. And if LAC is actually trading Harrell now, stupidly, because they can't afford re-sign him, then Whiteside wouldn't be much of an option, especially considering they'd have to gut their depth just to match salary
that wasn't "discounting success" in my view, that was a realistic assessment of what happened. If the Blazers had played Utah in the 1st round, and Golden State in the 2nd round, assuming they beat Utah, the playoffs would have been different; and, but for a miracle game 82 from Simons and Skal, that's what would have happened by the way, since I remind you of a cartoon, you remind me of one too:
actually, nitpicker fits many of your posts. Funny how you never mentioned we were missing Nurkic and that Aminu and Kanter were playing on fumes as they were fasting during the GS series. Kind of fits the description of the nitpicker.
why should I mention it since people like you bring it up all the time? Nurkic was healthy the year before when the Pelicans swept the Blazers and Aminu wasn't fasting either
People bring it up cause it's a fact. You like to cherry pick facts that fit your narrative and leave out those that don't. As for the Pelicans series, that was 2 years ago. Obviously had no effect on how the team did last year did it? Let's bring up the team from 30 years ago or 40 years ago or 50 years ago then as well?
Yes but you play the regular season to get “advantages”, and HCA. Again no ones giving GS a hard time for getting the one seeds and having “advantageous” runs to the finals. Its still the western conference full of good teams that they beat, and Denver with all that lack of experience beat SAS with Pops and co. Does there success getting to the 2nd round not really matter because Tim Duncan retired a few years ago? So the Blazers got swept by NO one year but made it to the WCF’s the next year but werent any better because they had advantages? Did they have HC against New Orleans? Just seems like a way to undermine any success they had, which is fine thats your prerogative, you dont like Neil and I can get with that to some extent. Nurkic had grown into a much better player before he got hurt which guys are apt to do when their 23-24 years old... Saying well they had Nurk the year prior and that meant nothing, he was still a relatively young player going up against an older AD who’s just better than him especially at that point in their careers. Anyways my only real point is, its ok to say last year was a fun year and they maybe overachieved but they were a good team, they fought hard, they were an excellent rebounding team, almost every team has weaknesses, its also ok to note that matchups with teams that have a lot of length in multiple positions are tough to beat (for everyone really), but yes the Blazers too. Its just my opinion but Im gonna remember last year as one of the funner Blazer seasons of my life even though it ended on a frustrating note.
you used Nurkic's injury as an excuse; and you used Aminu's fasting as an excuse. But that's all it was...excuses. Both players were healthy and there for a sweep just the year before. Maybe they would have made a difference last year, but we don't have to theorize much because we have an actual playoff series to go by as a gauge, not a hypothetical, and against a team far less capable than the Warriors 1-4 0-4 0-4 0-4 that's how Portland has bowed out of the playoffs over the last 4 years. Sometimes healthy, sometimes not; and the same is true for who they played. after 1-16 all the excuses seem kind of hollow to me. Next year will always be different...until it's not
Last year and the NO year were the only really, frustrating ones to me though. Those GS teams were amongst the best in the history of basketball, thats not an excuse its just the truth.
I didn't use any thing as an excuse. I was simply using facts that you failed to point out. Have a nice day, but I am done with you.
I agree to a degree, but...that 2015-16 Warrior team needed 7 games to beat OKC and lost the finals to Cleveland and went 15-9, so they weren't unbeatable at all in the playoffs. The next season was when they were nearly unbeatable and went 16-1 in the playoffs. Blazers weren't the only team they swept what bothers me was that the Warriors exposed the weaknesses in the Blazer roster and the Blazer schemes in those 1st two series....and nothing was done to correct them. All the Pelicans had to do was use the Warrior template and they coasted to a sweep. And last year, the Warriors were back doing the same thing that worked against Portland the three previous playoffs, and the Blazers had no answer. I mean, both the Clippers and the Rockets were able to get 2 wins against the Warriors, but Portland couldn't get even one the 3rd time they had faced the Warriors. That's kind of why I don't have much patience with the excuses LOL...that's your usual closing statement. If only it were true and you were done with me...then I could be done with you
Exactly, it's called common sense. Ah, but I do know that the Clippers wouldn't be interested in that trade. Maybe if we were talking about the Knicks I could go along with the Kevin Garnett "ANYTHING IS POSSSSSSIBLE!" line of thinking but it's extremely obvious in this case what the Clippers would be looking for and this ain't it.
In the case of the 2016-17 Warriors we were so thin up front after losing both Nurk and Ed. The one game Nurk played in on one leg we were blowing GS out until he couldn't play anymore (sound familiar? lol). It's hard to count that one too negatively though. So tell me again why you blame Olshey for this and not Stotts?
C'mon guys, this is the logic you're using... Hoopsjock: The Lakers would never trade Anthony Davis for Hassan Whiteside. @CupWizier and @UKRAINEFAN: There's no way to know what they'd do, see it works in the trade machine! Therefore, you can't say it's impossible!
First off Hassan Whiteside WILL be traded. No he will not be traded to the Clippers or Lakers. Second. Any other part of the conversation really doesn't make sense yet because drastic changes can happen right up to the trade deadline. Also every day they have Whiteside is another day Nurk can recover. There is a risk involved however. Injuries can open up opportunities as well as diminish them. At this point Olshey will sit and wait this out and see what could be available in Feb. That is the smart move. But yes there will most definitely be a move.
It's fine to have an opinion on trades but one should never try and speak as if they know what a team will do. Have you ever seen a trade that made you question why that was done? In my years i have seen many and the Blake/ Outlaw for Camby was one.
No not directing it at you. Just chiming in and kind of agreeing with you for the most part. Was reading your post when i was thinking is all.
You keep bringing up that one trade. Camby was on the trade market. It wasn't a shocker. Of course there are trades every year that are head scratching. That's not my point. I personally guarantee that if the Clippers make a trade it won't be for expirings, young unproven players, and/or picks unless that player is better than the players they trade. It's not rocket science, just a common sense perspective. You can come at me with trade machine crap showing that they can indeed trade Paul George for Bazemore, Tolliver, and Hezonja or whatever but they would never ever ever do that trade. Technically you'd be right that they "could" do that trade but to argue that stuff is just silly.
I'm not sure what Portland will do. As good as Whiteside has been I don't think it's worth both risking that he'd re-sign and that he'd be happy in a back-up role. I'm definitely in favor of trading him for a wing that can help us in future years and a lesser big man who would serve as a stop gap until Nurk is back to being Nurk. That probably makes us worse this year unless both Nurk and Collins come back and are effective (which is asking a lot) but I don't think this is the time to think shortsightedly with this team.
Those OKC / Cleve teams were better than the Blazers too. Id agree that its frustrating that seemingly the same things are their achilles heel year after year, which is sort of what was dissapointing last year to me. I think being able to put in Hood and Nurk was going to change that way GS in particular wouldve had to guard them. You can all it an excuse I guess, but IMO last years Nurk was clearly their second best player and he was a matchup problem for GS, especially with DMC down. ML had an ok series vs GS but he’s like 1/10th player Nurk is... Anyways, I guess we can agree to disagree. Also I still think it would be a major mistake to let the 27M of WS go without using it to bring in some long term contracts / players that can help them in the future when they’re hopefully healthy.
