Looks like Golliver wrote this for SI? http://nba.si.com/2013/08/26/nba-portland-trail-blazers-offseason-grade/
To be honest, its pretty on point. A B grade without an "A list" player. I do have reason to believe that our team will be much better than most expect, just because we have a bench and a legit starting center. Lopez isn't a "Wow-type" player, but he is more of a center than hickson. I think we will surprise many people this season.
I don't understand why people keep complaining why we didn't get an "A list" player, how? DH wasn't coming here, and Pek certainly isn't "A list". LMA is the only trade asset that could have netted the fabled "A lister".
Oh I'm not complaining. I would rather Olshey did what he did than blow his load on a Pek or Iggy. Both wouldn't have moved the needle as much as the slew of talent he picked up for basically nothing.
Here's the rub. The team needs Lopez to play starters' minutes. In 5 seasons, he has only exceeded 20 MPG once (and that was only 26 MPG). We are asking Lopez to do something he has never done before. Can the Blazers make the play-offs with Leonard playing 20+ MPG? I can't see that ending well.
I think Aldridge will carry the majority of back-up minutes at center. EDIT: Minute for Bigs Best case scenario: Aldridge 26 mpg at PF / Center: 10 Minutes, Lopez: 25 mpg at center, T. Rob: 20 mpg at PF, Leonard: 13 mpg at center, Claver: 3 mpg at PF Worst Case Scenario: Aldridge 26 mpg at PF / Center: 10 minutes, Lopez: 20 mpg at center, T. Rob: 15 mpg at PF, Leonard: 18 mpg at center, Claver: 8 mpg at PF
Im all ears for what Olshey should or could have done different with what he had to work with. For that reason I feel like our offseason grade deserves an "A"
I guess I am more of one that rates a true off-season of an "A" is getting a marquee player. I think he did the best he possibly could with what he had to work with. I think Olshey should be GM of the year though.
This is why I keep getting bashed by the lemmings. In your best case scenario, you have 36 PF/C minutes going to guys that haven't proved they are legitimate NBA players. I don't see how that makes anyone feel all warm and fuzzy about the playoffs
I am factoring how well we played last season with a very undersized Center and no bench. Even if Lopez can give us a good 25 mpg; and T. Rob can be a legit back-up PF; that does us a world of good this season. That alone, can give us an extra +10 wins this season. And remember we tanked the last 10 games too.
How many A list players were available? Dwight Howard was the biggest FA prize and he's yet to prove himself a true game changer, aside from having too many injuries. Who else? Iguodola, maybe? I'm not talking about players who were free agents and who were known to be pretty certain to stay put. Honestly, are there any other A listers I'm missing?
I would say only Iggy and Howard were the available "A list" free agents. But you don't have to sign the free-agent to obtain an "A list player" You could easily trade for one. Unfortunately, Portland didn't have enough talent to give up for an "A list player"
Portland was 12 games back of the 8th seed last year, while "tanking" the last 11 games (Without Aldridge) against teams with a .598 winning %. A .598 winning % would have been good for the 9th best winning % in the league, and 6th best in the Western Conference (where the teams we played are all from). So while people can claim we tanked, or whatever, our record was probably pretty spot on to what it would have been either way. So again, if EVERYTHING goes right with injuries, and players playing up to what we hope they are, we would still miss last years playoffs by 2 games. In YOUR best case scenario
And Lopez had never started 82 games or averaged 20 MPG until last season. And guess what, he did both last year and had the best year of his career. Sheesh, the guy is only 24. He was 19 when he was drafted. Imagine that, a very young, very raw 7-footer who wasn't ready to be a full time starter and play big minutes until he was 24. Yeah, that NEVER happens... The notion that Lopez is injury prone and can't play big minutes is complete bullshit, and just one more thing for the negative Nancys to hang their hats on. First we were going to lose Aldridge because he "demanded" a legitimate NBA center than could bang down low for 25 minutes a night. Olshey went out and got EXACTLY that, and now we get to hear how Lopez isn't capable of playing big minutes and we need to rely on Meyers Leonard for 20+ minutes per night. BULLSHIT!!! In one year, Lopez went from 0 starts and 14.0 MPG to 82 starts and 26.0 MPG and HAD THE BEST SEASON OF HIS CAREER. There is no reason he can't bump that up to 30 MPG. But sure, go ahead and put your negative spin on that. We have a legitimate 7' starting center who hasn't even turned 25 and just had the best year of his career, who is obviously just starting to enter his prime, and this isn't somehow a good thing. Really????? And Aldridge, not Meyers Leonard is our back-up center. We will also see plenty of smaller line ups with Wright and Claver as a stretch 4. How many teams in the league actually have quality depth at the 4 and 5 spots? When the other team plays their second unit, we can get away with going smaller. Yeah, it would be great to have 4 quality bigs 6'11 and taller, but name one team in the league that does. Name 8 teams in the West that do. Our starters have excellent size/length and we now have some quality, proven veterans coming of the bench, along with some young guys who are hungry to earn minutes. We WILL make the playoffs this year. Last year we were only 3 games under .500 with a month to go in the season - with NO starting center and the worst bench in NBA history. We now have a legitimate starting center and a very solid bench. Until tanking the last month of the season, the team was surprisingly competitive due to the quality of our starters. Lack of depth did us in last season. With Lopez protecting the paint, our starters will be even better this season, and our bench has gone from a HUGE weakness to a strength. BNM
The only time Lopez exceeded 20mpg was this past season, next year should be the first time he exceeds 30 Edit- just saw BNM wrote the exact same thing...
Man, this Negative Nancy vs. Hopeless Homer divide around here is hilarious. Doesn't it seem that everything has to polarize into two camps in our society today? I'm going into this season with an absolute certainty that the team is dramatically better than last year and has a reasonable shot at making the playoffs. Given where we were this time last year, that seems like a pretty good place to be. I'm really looking forward to the season this year.
