Zach Lowe: The Blazers' Oregon Trail to contention

Damned straight.

 

I did think this portion was interesting, since he agrees with a lot of things I have been saying. (or at least thinking)

Portland should at least consider starting Crabbe at small forward. Even with Aminu sliding down a position, the Blazers still don't have a ton of shooting without either Crabbe or Leonard on the floor. The Crabbe-y version of the starters blitzed opponents by seven points per 100 possessions last season, and Crabbe is smart about skulking into open spaces when his man turns to watch the Lillard-and-McCollum show."

Crabbe is also tall enough to launch 3s over little guys, a boon for Portland when opponents slot a wing onto Lillard -- and stash their point guards on Crabbe.

He should develop into a solid defender. Crabbe slithers around screens, reads the game well, and works hard. Coaches for the Warriors and Clippers were impressed by Crabbe's postseason work guarding Klay Thompson and Jamal Crawford.

But he's a poor rebounder, without elite length or athleticism to compensate for a size disadvantage against bulkier small forwards. Turner is a stronger rebounder, but faces the same size issues. Don't be shocked if the Blazers kick around starting Harkless to stabilize the defense, even if bringing two $17 million guys off the bench is NBA sacrilege.

 

I'm all for starting Crabbe this season...he plays better with the starting unit usually

 

My thoughts are we should usually start Crabbe, and have a 3 man rotation in the back court of Dame /CJ / ET.

Then whoever is needed most at the end of games, between Crabbe, ET, and Harkless (depending on the score or the match up) let that person finish at SF.

Technically you even finish with Dame, ET, and Crabbe (or Harkless) in certain situations. Terry has some flexibility for sure.

 

@jlprk will be happy to know Stotts is refuting the GM's earlier proclamations!

 

jlprk won't be happy until he becomes Trader Terry

 

Just need to shorten that a bit.

 

It has to be patty C. He came in saying he wanted to be a leader in the team. Or was in an Oregonian article I believe before his rookie year.

 

We didn't draft TRob. He said it was one of our draft picks.

 

Honestly, it's nice to get attention sometimes because we're a small market and the national media ignores us for the most part, but I don't really value their opinions one way or the other.

For me, it's not like my opinion of the team changes whether they like us or dislike us, so really it's just nice when we get a little positive attention. That's how I look at it.

 

The 93-95 Pacers are my favorite non-Blazers team of all time. I had a Reggie Miller poster on my wall back then.

 

Did you kiss it goodnight?

 

For me other than the Blazers I loved watching the twin tower Spurs, the Mugsy Bogues Hornets and the Larry Brown Pistons championship team.

 

He still does...KS strikes me as a nostalgic guy

 

That's Bill Simmons

 

Bill Simmons is butt hurt when Tom Brady doesn't complete a pass.

 

No, he said the egotistical player was our rookie, not necessarily our draftee. And no one has mentioned The Thrill.

Where is that thread in which I told him off, then had regrets that I'd been too hard on the young Beaver.

 

I remember that thread. I noted that Turner had lied, either when he said he'd been promised a starting spot, or when he said he hadn't. I haven't read that thread since then. These guys probably had fun denying that logical conundrum. Or maybe they turned their noses up at it.

 

I still have this poster somewhere

 

That's what I wondered, whether it was in reference to a Blazers draft pick. My first thought is that he was talking about Mo Harkless. Wasn't that the story on Mo when we got him?