As much as I hate to say I want to sandbag this year I just think it’s time to start competing to win. If we lose so be it. Guessing at best we’ll still win less than 25 games. That said it would suck to miss next years draft there’s some really special players in next years draft.
The same thing that they should have done last year. Develop individual skills and teach fundamentals. But more important develop an offensive and defensive system that fits the personnel and and prioritize teaching it over winning.
Decide very early who is going to stay with the team long term and who isn't. Trade ASAP anyone that won't be here long term.
If we finish near the bottom in defense, especially since we just brought in 2 excellent defenders, Billups will be fired, period. So, while I do think this is a development year, it's not a tanking year. https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/479463b0-344b-4f0e-a64d-85438fbaa08d
the box and none defense gets pretty bad. Hope the opponent misses from 3pt land hasn't worked since Stotts was coaching. The >always play drop coverage< failed in various ways. The NBA is getting really good at draw & deliver. when opponents did find their groove from distance last season, that's when the 30-60 point losses would start showing up.
I have the utmost confidence in Cronin's tanking ability. He's clutch. He'll know by first third of the season if it's time to tank. Even if the Blazers are doing modestly well, he'll know how early and how often to get guys on the DL. He wont let them be a fringe play-in team that will get bounced quick. I trust in his tanking mastery, need it be necessary.
I’m not sure what they are doing? What they should do is get rid of a few more vets and just continue to rebuild. If they part ways with Grant, Ayton, and Simons they will not have to try to lose games. If they play those veterans they might screw up and win 30 games. Just seems a waste to try to win more than 20 this year.
Having nothing but a losing environment for Sharpe and Scoot's career, is shooting yourself in the head. Sacrifice the foot
If we can add 2 all stars over the next 2 drafts that's far more important than playing Scoot and Sharpe behind some vets who net us an extra 5 or 6 wins. Need to start both Scoot and Sharpe. Give them developmental coaches and trainers. The rest will take care of itself. Maybe we do play Clingan a lot. We need to be high lotto the next 2 drafts.
First, I think that the West is going to be very competitive this year. I don’t see anyone only winning 20 games. I’d be surprised if the East wasn’t more competitive as well. The Pistons will still suck, but 62 losses worth? Second, playing to lose has a negative effect on team morale and development of young players. Third, do we never learn from the Blazers’ history of ping pong balls dropping the wrong way or seemingly sure draft picks going bust due to injury or a player just not being as good at the pro level as expected? The draft, even in a loaded year, is still a crapshoot. Play to win, at least until the losses pile up to a level where winning is no longer possible, then let the chips fall where they may with respect to the draft.
The only way Portland wins more than 20 next season is if we play the vets heavy minutes. We should not do that. The vets should be traded.
I’m tired of tanking……just play it out with Scoot and Sharpe starting let the chips fall where they may.
Yeah my opinion is that we should move all of the win now players and concentrate on developing youth including and specifically around the guys you just mentioned (Scoot and Shae). If we do that we can get all of the young guys a ton of experience, they can play their hearts out, they won't have to sit at the end of the season and we'll still land with decent odds in the lotto. Oh and from an entertainment standpoint, in my experience losing with guys who are getting better all the time is a helluva lot more fun than losing with guys who are already set in their ways as NBA players and don't quite lose enough so we just sit them for at least the last third of the season. Go full rebuild and then you don't have to do inorganic shit to "tank" you just end up with a good pick while watching the team get better.
Whether or not we keep Grant and Ant, Shae is not going to be playing behind a vet. Scoot could come off the bench unless he improves, but either way, he will get close to 30 minutes. It is a very long season and with injuries, there are plenty of minutes to go around.
If we are what Joe said we are and that is committed to building around a back court of Scoot and Shaedon then you start both of them and you don't play either out of position... you trade Ant because he's just not a fit. The team that makes the most sense for Ant has a guy they drafted last year that would be a fantastic backup that would fit very well next to either Scoot or Shaedon when he would be subbed in. I think we could get Black and the more favorable of Orlando's and Denver's FRPs in next year's draft for Ant. I think that should be enough for us and I do not think it's asking for too much from them.
